News

Giving Tree symbolizes the kindness of the local area

By Scott Wagar

09/16/2014

When individuals walk into the Building Blocks Learning Center one will notice an apple tree covered with apples of a variety of different colors.

The tree is called the “Giving Tree” and the apples have the names of those who donated money to the EDC’s Learning Academy, which Lindsey Guss rents out as a day care under Building Blocks Learning Center.

“The Giving Tree concept came from the children’s book by Shel Silverstein, “The Giving Tree.” The EDC believes in the concept of the more you give in life, the more you receive. The donors you find on the wall inside the child care center are literally supporting the growth of the Bottineau area” said Deana DeFoe, director of Bottineau’s EDC.

“This project created 12 new jobs in the Bottineau area and eased some of the workforce concerns where some employees were job sharing as a way to care for their children.”

The center cost $1.1 million to construct and furnish. When it came to contribution dollars for the day care center 56 percent of the funding came from public and private sources.

Anna Jacobson, an artist from Langdon, created and produced the Giving Tree, while Jason Hiatt of Minot created the apples for the tree.

“Each size of apple coincides with the giving level established in the Raisin’ Our Community Campaign,” DeFoe said.

“For example, State Bank of Bottineau contributed at the Gold level so their apple represents this level of giving.”

The apple’s sizes and its levels are as follows:

● Sponsor – Red

● Founder – Glitter Red Apple

● Bronze Founder – Bronze Apple

● Silver Founder – Silver Apple

● Gold Founder – Gold Apple

● Platinum Founder – Platinum Apple

● Diamond Founder – Diamond Apple

“For our Diamond Founder, we created a naming rights opportunity,” DeFoe said. “So, the preschool wing of the day care is named on behalf of the grant contribution we received from AgriBank and the Rural Community Grant Fund.”  

With the project completed, the Building Blocks Learning Center after 10 weeks is caring for 50 children at the ages of infant through five in early care and preschool learning experiences.

With these numbers, and children being cared for after a lack of day care centers in Bottineau in the past years, DeFoe is pleased with the center.

“What this project does is provides a space for children to learn and grow in the fun, safe environment of a childcare center,” DeFoe said.

“Our goal is to ensure that high quality childcare exists so that moms and dads can work full-time if they choose to do so.”

DeFoe is also thankful to all the contributors of the project.

“We are deeply grateful to all who contributed to this project and feel strongly that the combination of public and private resources is an important feature of this project that will sustain the childcare center as a permanent fixture for the Bottineau area,” she said.