Davidson-Cornelius Day Care officials said Friday they’ve reached their goal of raising $64,000 in emergency funds to give the financially troubled center time to come up with a new business plan.

Dozens of families, churches, institutions and other supporters of the 40-year-old center have been offering donations since the center announced in September that it had run out of money and was in danger of closing. The milestone of $64,000 in pledges means the non-profit center can continue to pay staff at least through year’s end.

Last week, the center appointed an interim director, Courtenay O’Neil, and set up a task force of experts and citizens to develop a plan for adjusting to a dramatically changed business and funding environment.

“Just five weeks ago this day care center was in danger of closing – we couldn’t even make payroll,” board member Eileen Keeley said in a statement Friday. “Yet in these few short weeks the community has rallied to the cause.’

Ms. Keeley said “Day Care Hero” fund-raising teams have formed to raise money. Mayors John Woods of Davidson and Jeff Tarte of Cornelius have lined up support from area churches, and the task force is now in place “to design a sustainable new business plan,” she said. Meanwhile, a variety of local organizations are planning fund-raisers.

“We are encouraged and gratified by the community’s response, as so many people have stepped up with their time, talent, and resources. The care and commitment of this community demonstrates perfectly why my family, and so many others, has chosen this special part of the world to live,” Ms. Keeley said.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Donations to Davidson-Cornelius Day Care may be mailed directly to: Day Care Heroes, PO Box 848, Davidson, NC 28036. Or pay online via a secure link at http://www.ecrsa.org/davidsondaycare/

The center’s history

In 2004, students in a “Writing for the Community” class at Davidson College conducted oral histories and prepared a history of the day care center from its beginnings through 2002. Read that history online here, or download a printable PDF, CLICK HERE>

How did center get to this point?

We have more about how the center ended up in financial difficulty. See Michele Miller Houck’s Sept. 24 report, “Well-loved day care’s quiet slide into financial difficulty.”