Sara Stadem | Editor
In order to continue their excellent care for the children of their community, the Crooks Community Child Care Center (CCCCC) has high hopes to raise enough money to assist with a new building.
CCCCC is a non-profit daycare center that originally opened in 2003. It is run by seven women who donate their time to the daycare and run the board. At that time, they were able to care for 24 children. However, over the years, they have been able to expand that, now being able to take 42 children during the day.
There are currently seven full time and seven part time staff members at CCCCC. They have a baby room, toddler room which is for ages 1 – 2 ½ or 3, depending on the child, and a preschool room which is for ages 3 and up.
Although the growth of the daycare is a positive, it is still causing a few growing pains as CCCCC is in need of a new building. The director at CCCCC, Melissa Boehrns, states “The community is in much need of a new, bigger daycare center as the town keeps growing and we (CCCCC) are at full occupancy and have a long wait list of people waiting to get into the center. With more houses getting built here in Crooks, it just gets bigger.”
CCCCC has the land purchased and now wants to raise some money to assist with the expenses in order for the bank to help them with a loan.
Byron Farmer of Critters Bar came up with an excellent fundraising idea of Chase the Ace. “He is a huge supporter of the daycare and is always coming up with fundraiser ideas and helping us with whatever he can,” says Boehrns.
Boehrns explained the fundraiser gives 50% of the nightly raffle sales back to the daycare, 40% goes to the pot for whoever draws the Ace and 10% goes to the winner of the night if the Ace is not drawn. The Chase the Ace fundraiser for CCCCC takes place every Sunday at Critters Bar in Crooks from 3-5 with the drawing at 5 p.m. The pot is currently up to $2,388.
Most of the fundraisers for CCCCC have been cancelled due to COVID which makes this fundraiser that more important. CCCCC has a building fund at the Great Western Bank and Boehrns encourages anyone wanting to help, please contact her at the daycare. “We are looking for all of the help we can to make this possible for the daycare kids.”