As we reported back in June, the non-profit that's behind the installation and maintenance of the Bay Lights LED installation on the Bay Bridge are gunning to keep the lights up after their previously intended end-date of March 2015. This is going to require a big chunk of cash, however: $4 million by December 31. As the Chron reports, efforts to raise the first $1.2 million of that sum during a summer, crowd-sourcing pledge drive have only yielded about $350,000.

The total sum needed to reinstall the lights after a planned — and mandatory — dismantling of the installation on March 6 is $12 million, which includes the sourcing of more robust LEDs that are made to withstand the harsh weather conditions on the bridge for years to come.

The Bay Lights must come down in March no matter what because CalTrans has a planned repainting of the bridge scheduled, and the original installation only had a permit for two years. Reinstallation would then begin late next year, with the hope that the lights would stay up for at least another decade.

Many people are going to feel sad about this, obviously, because the piece by artist Leo Villareal feels like they just went up yesterday, and it's already an integral and beloved part of our local landscape.

Executive director of foundation backer Illuminate the Arts, Ben Davis, says that he was a bit disappointed in the crowd-sourcing effort for individual donations, and that his organization is now focusing on deep-pocketed donors. "We’re going to need the generosity of people coming in big, while still connecting with people who want to give at a smaller level," he said.

Hear that, everyone? You can give to the project here, right now, and tell your rich friends to do this too. And you can expect to hear more crowing about this on the local news for the next two months.

Previously: Backers Seek To Keep Bay Lights Up For 12 More Years, Install LED Sculpture Up Market Street Too