Money rolls in to rescue Smithsonian's ruby red slippers

October 21, 2016 at 10:35 a.m. | Updated October 21, 2016 at 10:45 a.m.

by Associated Press

File- This Nov. 9, 2001, file photo shows the sequin-covered ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" at the offices of Profiles in History in Calabasas, Calif. Smithsonian Museum officials started a Kickstarter fundraising drive Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, to repair the iconic slippers from 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” and create a new state-of-the-art display case for them at the National Museum of American History. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)
File- This Nov. 9, 2001, file photo shows the sequin-covered ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" at the offices of Profiles in History in Calabasas, Calif. Smithsonian Museum officials started a Kickstarter fundraising drive Monday, Oct. 17, 2016, to repair the iconic slippers from 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” and create a new state-of-the-art display case for them at the National Museum of American History. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) - People are pledging lots of green to restore a pair of famous red slippers.

On Monday, the Smithsonian launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $300,000 to preserve its pair of the ruby slippers that whisked Dorothy back to Kansas at the end of "The Wizard of Oz." By Friday morning, the campaign had already raised $239,000. More than 4,390 people had backed the project.

The slippers have been one of the most beloved items at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for more than 30 years. They were crafted almost 80 years ago by the MGM Studios prop department. Like most movie props, they weren't built to last.

The Smithsonian wants to use the money toward a technologically advanced display case that will preserve them for future generations.

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