The parent committee at the Whistler Children’s Centre met its goal of raising $25,000 at a gala fundraiser held at the new Players Chophouse in Creekside last week.
Tickets were $55 each, and included a silent auction, a live DJ, tapas, wine, and door prizes.
According to committee chair Ryan Donohue, who has two children in daycare, the funds will go towards attracting and retaining certified daycare teachers.
“The level of support was amazing, people and businesses really stepped up to the plate for the auction, bidding on items,” he said. “People who don’t even have children were offering their time, their resources, and to donate auction items.”
The fundraiser was held Dec. 3, a week after the Whistler Children’s Centre was forced to cancel infant daycare programs at Spring Creek for kids aged three to 36 months due to a lack of provincially certified instructors accredited with Infant Toddler and Early Childhood Education. Some 26 families were affected by the closure, although many have been able to find days at the Nesters centre or have made other arrangements to use a growing number of in-home daycares.
The Whistler Children’s Centre is working to attract certified staff, as well as lobbying the province to speed up its acceptance of out-of-province and out-of-country certifications.
