A fundraiser that the Souris Daycare Centre was undertaking as a means of covering some of the debt problems that are occurring has raised $9,135.00! The Wine Raffle was an idea that popped after parents were informed of the financial challenges facing the Centre. The draw was held March 16. Parents donated bottles of wine that were then raffled off. Jaquie Friessen won the first prize of 25 bottles of win. Second prize was 10 bottles on wine, won by Kayla Hack. Third prize was five bottles of wine, won by Mike Shuba.
The Centre held an open house on Saturday, March 17 to give the public an opportunity to tour the Centre and ask questions regarding the financial plans, as was the wish of parents and the community. According to Daycare board member, Brenda Morris the turn out was not what they hoped to see. “There wasn’t a lot of people in attendance, including parents,” she explained. “It was good though, people asked us to do this an now we have. I expect from the turn out on Saturday that everyone is happy with how we are moving forward.”
Moving forward is exactly what this Daycare board and their enthusiastic fundraising committee are doing. Besides the money that was raised through the raffle, Morris said that the general support from the community has been tremendous. “We are so pleased with the support we are receiving that we are now in a position that we can pay our bills,” shared Morris. “The community is amazing. Half of our contractor’s bills have been paid. The local contractors have been paid and we hope to have them all covered by fall.”
The Daycare Board had approached the RM of Souris Glenwood to ask for financial assistance to cover their shortfalls and allow them to pay contractors for work done on the Centre in 2017 however that request has been rescinded.
Morris explained that the fundraising committee has a few irons in the fire regarding future promotions. First up will be to provide lunch at two of the Souris Survivor Spiel social evenings. That will be followed closely by a Vessie Seeds event and they will be back in time for spring planting. The Daycare group is planning to have a garage sale during the Chamber Town Wide Yard Sales and would be willing to accept donations of items to sell. In June they are hosting Big Daddy Tazz, which will be a larger event and follow up with Dinner at your Door in November. The final thing in the pipe is a Christmas Mom’s Pantry sale.
Morris says that the feeling going forward is that they should be back on their feet by fall and acknowledge the hard work and support of everyone involved in getting them to this point. “Things are looking good,”
