News
Committee looks for community assistance
Scott Wagar
11/19/2013
The Bottineau Community Children’s Academy Campaign Committee (BCCACC) will be kicking-off this Friday, Nov. 22, with a fundraising campaign in hopes of raising enough money to furnish the inside of the new day care center being constructed on the campus of Dakota College at Bottineau.
“Money raised thus far (for the day care) is for constructing the outside of the building,” said Jan Nahinurk, one of 11 members of the Bottineau Community Children’s Academy Campaign Committee.
“So, money is still needed to outfit the center, which is to provide all the furnishings on the inside as well as a fence enclosure (for the playground), playground equipment and everything that is part of the inside of the building. So, to do that effort a group of interested parties are working to develop a campaign to raise $200,000 to outfit the children’s academy,” Nahinurk stated.
The BCCACC has been meeting to create ways in getting the inside of the Bottineau Community Children’s Academy (BCCA) equipped and have established a number of ways to have a successful campaign.
In order to make the fundraiser work out, the members of the BCCACC stated they will need the assistance of the community.
“We will be promoting the campaign in several different ways,” Nahinurk said. “One, a website has been created where people can make an online contribution. Two, individuals can do direct mail-ins with contributions for the project.
“The main jest is the opportunity for people to learn about the project and make an online contribution on the website or to the EDC,” Nahinurk added. “The money is going to a non-profit and will receive a taxable cash contribution (5013C).”
Diane Olson, EDC director of Bottineau who heads-up the Bottineau Community Children Academy, and who is a member of the BCCACC, stated that community members, businesses, organizations, families and friends together can also hold fundraisers (like breakfast events), donate money as individuals or as a group or even purchase items and donate them to the children’s academy.
The BCCACC is looking for items such as table and chairs, kitchen equipment, playground equipment, pack and plays, fencing and so much more. Bottineau’s EDC office has a complete list of items the committee will need to furnish the day care if individuals would like to see the list and purchase items.
The Bottineau Community Children’s Academy Campaign Committee fundraiser will take place from Nov. 22 to March 31, 2014.
The committee’s website for the project is https://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/raising-our-community/103964.
Over the past decade in Bottineau, day cares in the city of Bottineau have closed due to a variety of reasons like individuals retiring, moving out of the community or moving in another career direction. Outside of day cares closing, Bottineau’s Pre-school and Head Start has closed its doors due to a number of reasons which include not being able to find directors, educators and the lack of federal funding for Head Start.
With a small number of day cares left in the city, and no Pre-school or Head Start in the community, it has left an estimated 1,000 children without care as their parents work during the day. In some cases, the lack of day care has made some parents leave their job or shut down their business to stay at home to care for their kids, which has caused them financial difficulties at times.
The EDC, led by Olson, in association with the Bottineau Chamber of Commerce under the direction of Clint Reinoehl, have worked diligently in establishing a day care center in Bottineau, but have struggled in obtaining one due to the large cost of financing.
The project started turning around when the State Board of Higher Education donated land to the EDC to construct a day care center on the campus of Dakota College at Bottineau with close to a 100 year lease.
At the same time, Olson was acquiring funding for the project and to date has attained funding to start the construction of the day care building. She was able to gain funding from the city of Bottineau, Bottineau County, the Department of Commerce, North Central Electric Revolving Loan Fund ($150,000) and directives through the Bank of North Dakota ($280,000). The money obtained will have payments.
The EDC will not be managing the day care, the office will only be providing the facility, but it will have a lease agreement with a director, which will be Lindsey Guss.
Although the building is currently going up, the funding to furnish the inside of the day care and the green area outside has been difficult to achieve. With funding lacking, the BCCACC was established with hopes the community will be part of finishing the project and getting children into day care.
Members of the BCCACC include: Jan Nahinurk, Dakota College at Bottineau; Diane Olson, Economic Development Corporation; Deana Defoe, Economic Development Corporation and non-profit campaign specialist; Heather Thompson, Good Samaritan Society of Bottineau and Bottineau American Legion Post 42 representative; Lindsey Guss, future manager of the Bottineau Community Children’s Academy; Marcia Robertson, EC educator and public school representative; Diane Lorenz, city council member and business representative; Sheila Sturlaugson, family and business representative; Alissa Moldenhauer, child care representative; Kayla O’Toole, social media expert and Dan Nostdahl, architect for the day care project.
Total cost for the Bottineau Community Children’s Academy is $950,000. The structure will have 6,597 square feet and room for 50 children, which will include eight infants, 10 toddlers and 32 children who are of the ages three, four and five.