The generosity of holiday shoppers transformed into a $19,000 windfall for Nanaimo’s Child Development Centre.
Woodgrove Centre’s gift wrapping station handled close to 4,000 presents over the Christmas shopping season (a 16 per cent increase from 2009), all for a donation to the CDC.
Child Development Centre staff and other community organizations volunteered their time toward the gift wrapping service, raising $19,316.
In addition, partial proceeds from the sale of photos with Santa Claus were also donated to help raise funds to support the variety of programs offered at the CDC.
The funds will provide programs and services to children with special needs and their families beyond government funding. The centre is able to purchase specialized therapy equipment and stock the lending library where it loans out specialized equipment, books and resources to assist families in reaching their child’s optimum development.