Daycare to hold BBQ supper fundraiser

Great Plays Daycare is hosting their fifth annual fundraiser meal on Thursday, Sept. 15. The meal will be a BBQ Pork Dinner at the Trinity Lutheran Church in New Hampton from 5-7 p.m.The goal is to raise funds for Great Plays to continue making improvements and help with the ever rising cost of operation. This ultimately helps keep tuition costs down.The daycare’s Board President Lacey Carolan said the BBQ pulled pork meal this year will be a lot less labor intensive work for the board.“In years past the board would spend a full day prepping for the spaghetti supper,” said Carolan.This is the fifth year for the fundraiser supper and the board wanted to try something new.“We wanted to change it up and Reicks was gracious enough to donate the meat,” she said.The new meal will also make for easier “to-go” boxes whether the meals are going to farmers in the field or just a family at home.Ticket sales are happening now with advance tickets are cheaper than ones on the day of event.Tickets cost $6 in advance, $7 at the door and kids four years or younger eat free.Great Plays is a nonprofit daycare that operates using funds from daycare tuition, grants and donations. In the past year they have been able to purchase new equipment for the center rooms, update kitchen items and give a pay increase to the center’s staff.With this year’s funds the daycare hopes to purchase outside play equipment and continue Nurtured Heart Approach training for the staff.“The employees deserve way more than they get,” said Carolan.She also said the daycare is maxed out on their facility size and are questioning if they should expand or be searching for a new facility all together.“Donations are awesome,” said Carolan. “Tuition and donations are the only way we operate.”The daycare gets no funding on state or any other level.“We receive no state funding,” she said.The daycare does currently have a waiting list of parents that would like to send their kids there.