Efforts to Create Monument to Celebrate Legacy of Actor Leonard Nimoy, Who Played Pointy-Eared Alien Named Spock in Star Trek, Moves to Warp Speed Nearly Eight Years After His Death Did.
A six-figure donation from Android co-founder Rich Miner fueled a campaign to create a 20-foot-tall illuminated sculpture depicting Spock’s famous “Live Long and Prosper” hand gestures. increase. This sculpture was to be placed in the Boston Science Museum near the West End neighborhood where Nimoy grew up.
daughter of Nimoi, Julie Nimoyand her husband, David Knight, are working with the museum to reach the $500,000 fundraising goal for the project. The stainless steel monument, designed by David Phillips, could start taking shape as early as this year, Knight said.
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“We were really starting to wonder, is this going to happen?” Knight said. “I was incredibly happy that someone in the tech industry really embraced it.”
Like Nimoy, Rich Minor hails from the Boston area. This 58-year-old computer scientist is best known for co-founding his Android mobile device operating system, which he acquired by Google in 2005. And in 2000 he ventured into voice assistant He Wildfire Communications, which was acquired by Orange.
Minor says one of the reasons he was motivated to donate to the Nimoy Memorial Project was not only his Boston upbringing, but also his connection to Star Trek.
“Star Trek and Spock nurtured my interest in science and technology and influenced the startup side of me. OS).” he said in a tweet.
Knight said the exact amount of the miner’s contribution will be announced after considering how the payout will be structured. It may be assembled as
Additional support has already begun with the backing of miners announced on December 29th. William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk to Nimoy’s Spock in the original “Star Trek” and a series of spin-off films, said in a tweet Minor’s donation came as “great news”. The fundraising website has registered her donation of $36,625 from 500 of her other supporters as of today.
Knight said this could be a turning point for a campaign that began in 2021.
“Previously, I [thinking it was] It was a really great idea, a great compliment, but I didn’t get the support I needed. Clearly the price tag. That’s a big price tag,” he said. “But now I know we’re over the hump.”
The 20-foot-tall Nimoy’s “Live Long and Prosper” gesture was inspired by Jewish signs of blessing that the actor recalled from his childhood and commemorates more than just one man.
“When people see it, they’ll be inspired,” said Knight. “He has two goals. Yes, No. 1, to celebrate Leonard’s life and legacy. But at the same time, ‘Live Long and Prosper’ is a symbol of peace, tolerance, unity and diversity.” There are some great things behind it and so many people feel connected to this symbol. ”