The Sun Country Kids Club may have only been around for a couple of years, but the organization has been busy growing and gaining momentum. The club's main fundraisers, the Breakfast with Santa and the Spring Trade Show, have been joined by the Bunny Hopp, which took place on March 24. The Bunny Hopp, which included pictures taken with the Easter Bunny and a live magic show, was a sold out event, in spite of less than cooperative weather.
"We had wanted to do an Easter Egg Hunt outside," said Shannon Seitz, executive director for Sun Country Kids Club. "Next year we're definitely looking at expanding the day. We'd like to add a few things, like a petting zoo."
Seitz said that the club did fairly well for their first Easter-themed fundraising event.
"We sold over 300 tickets," she said, "so we are really happy with the way it went."
The Weyburn Kinsmen and Kinettes Club sponsored the event with a $500 donation, which in turn allowed the SCKC to make $2,000 from the Bunny Hopp.
"That money is going to be used for children to use our summer program," said Seitz.
The sponsored spaces will be made available to qualifying families who cannot afford regular club rates.
The SCKC summer program will take place at Grace United Church again this year. Seitz noted that the spaces are filling up, but that there is still time to enroll. Various activities are planned for summer, but even if parents wanted to send their children on a part-time, drop-in basis, they must first be members.
Membership is $25 for the year and registration involves having important paperwork such as emergency contact information.
"We'll have about 35 spaces, but we will try to accommodate as many people as we can," said Seitz.
Sun Country Kids Club currently operates at Souris School and Haig School before and after school days. Their services also extend to include day camp for days known as 'PD' days on school calendars.
Since PD days are not holidays, parents often still have to go to work, while the children are not scheduled to be in school. Day camps allow a bridge between home and school for children who are too old for day care.
"If you're a member of the club, you can use all PD days, you get priority," said Seitz. "The membership is a good way of indicating how many kids and what they'll be using."
On PD days, children are welcome from all schools, but Seitz said that there is also now a program in place to accommodate the parents of students at Assiniboia Park Elementary School (APES) for before and after school.
She noted that the program is highly expandable and that all it takes to start an after school program at a school is 15 participants. Anyone interested in having the program at their school should visit suncountrykidsclub.com and submit an email. From that point, a survey can begin.
"We are definitely looking to provide services to accommodate more families, if we can," said Seitz.
Beginning in April, a calendar for the club will be posted each month on the web site.
The organization is hoping to attract more volunteers for events. Each fundraiser will have its own committee, and while no individual is expected to take over, it would be helpful to have more hands to make lighter work.
"Our club doesn't ask parents for mandatory fundraisers," noted Seitz. "We'd like to keep our prices affordable for families, so it's going to take a lot of help from the community to keep it going. We have had a lot of help, but if we're looking at expanding, we're going to have to step it up a little."
Seitz noted that the entire SCKC board of directors are highly committed to the cause. The present board members are Brooke Charlton, Angela Hewitt, Holly Herman, Moria Pulfer, Connie Nightingale, Martins Hirrsons, Justine Anderson and Jeanette Nilsson. Past board members include Jennifer Ashworth, Velinda Tipple, Megan Patzer and Kristin Cote.
Seitz said that in just the first two years of the program, the board has volunteered more than 8,000 hours.
"Our board of directors has done an incredible job - the amount of work that they put in!" said Seitz. "Not only are they running the board as a business, they are also at every single fundraiser, coming up with the ideas and putting in a lot of hours. So, we're definitely looking for some help for them."
Volunteers and vendors are currently being organized for the Spring Trade Show, which is scheduled for May 4 at McKenna Hall. Just in time for Mother's Day, the event will feature gift items made by local crafters and home-based businesses. Also, beginning April 15, SCKC is teaming up with The Void for the proceeds from all BathGoddess products.
