Yesterday, drivers fueled up with a purpose for the Co-op’s Fuel Good Day, an annual event now in its eighth year that donates 10 cents per litre of fuel to a local registered charity or non-profit organization. This year, Southern Plains Co-op is directing the funds to three local child care centers, Hillcrest Early Learning Centre in Estevan, Carlyle Cubs Learning Centre, and Oxbow Child Care Centre.
At Hillcrest Early Learning Centre, located in Estevan, director Shawna Attwater said the facility serves 55 children aged 18 months to 12 years and offers a wide variety of activities. “We like to do swimming in the summer, spend lots of time outside, and we even held a family fun day for the community this year,” she said.
The center is planning upgrades to its outdoor play areas, including replacing gravel in the toddler yard with safer rubber surfacing and updating the main playground, which has been affected by wear and weather over time. Attwater said the support from the community is crucial. “We are a non-profit center, so the money we raise throughout the year or help from the community really means the world to us. It allows us to make updates without it all coming out of parents’ pockets.”
In Oxbow, director Tylie Hitchens described the Oxbow Childcare centre as a small but busy facility with 33 spaces serving roughly 45 children from about 35 families. The centre focuses on providing quality care at affordable prices, with assistance from ministry grants.
Hitchens said they are fundraising to expand their program, having received approval for 15 additional spaces. Plans also include renovating the play area to create a second classroom space. “If our renovations are completed, we hope to see this expansion come to fruition next year,” she said.
Carlyle Cubs Learning Centre is a relatively new facility, having opened in March 2023 for 33 full-time children. Director Kayla Brown said the centre now serves about 50 children per month from surrounding communities, including Carlyle, Arcola, Manor, and White Bear.
Outdoor play is a priority at Carlyle Cubs, and the centre has been enhancing its backyard with a new playhouse, rubber pathways for biking, and tunnels for exploration and learning. Brown expressed her gratitude for the support from Fuel Good Day. “As a non-profit organization, we work hard on fundraising, so being selected as a Fuel Good Days recipient is phenomenal. It’s an easy way for the community to support our center.”
Southern Plains Co-op’s Fuel Good Day provides an opportunity for communities to come together and support local child care centres, helping them improve programming, safety, and learning environments for children across Southeast Saskatchewan.