Saint Paddy’s daycare fundraiser finds gold

A lucky Saint Patrick’s Day pancake fundraiser raised more than $800 at the Tsi Rontswa’ta:khwa Early Childhood Center for the children’s trips, toys, and the daycare’s language program.

It was the first time the daycare held a meal-based fundraiser, selling pancake platters with ham and fruit for takeout or delivery.

On the Saturday before Saint Patrick’s Day, Kanehsata’kehró:non could buy a platter costing $10 for an adult and $6 for children, cooked by a grandmother of one of the children who attends the daycare.

“We had a lot of parents that did come out and support,” said Kahontóktha Beauvais, language teacher at Tsi Rontswa’ta:khwa.

Fundraisers regularly happen at the daycare to cover expenses for trips, events - like the sugar shack outing last week - and to upgrade equipment, such as new puzzles and toys.

“We’re always looking for money that will benefit the daycare, benefit the kids,” said Wynonna Cross, educator at Tsi Rontswa’ta:khwa.

“We end up spending it almost right away to do outings and activities or buying new stuff for the classroom, so we just keep going,” said Cross.

The daycare continues to run two fundraisers that began on the day of the pancake platter event.

The first fundraiser is a game similar to Chase the Ace, but with Saint Patrick’s Day themed cards costing $20 each. Once all the cards are sold, the staff will turn the cards over to reveal the winners of $400 worth in prizes in gift cards, including Amazon, Walmart, and a local beauty salon.

A second ongoing fundraiser is an Easter raffle for a variety of new kids’ toys, such as a race car and baby toys, donated to the daycare by the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) from the leftover toys from their annual Christmas giveaway. Raffle tickets cost $5 for one or three for $10, and the feature prize is a giant, nine-pound Easter chocolate bunny.

The money raised by all the fundraisers will also help strengthen the growing language program at the daycare.

In January, Beauvais was hired to teach Kanien’kéha to the 24 children at the daycare.

“It’s a pretty big chapter,” said Beauvais, who is an alum of the language program of the Tsi Ronterihwanónhnha ne Kanien’kéha Language and Cultural Center.

“I’m pretty honoured to be hired as the language teacher.”

Beauvais’s goal is to teach children Kanien’kéha to such a degree that they feel comfortable once they join the language classes at Rotiwennakéhte Elementary School.

“I want to prepare the kids at the daycare with the essentials that they need in the language, so that way they can go to the school and be able to understand what the teacher is telling them and know their names,” said Beauvais.

“I was told that a lot of them didn’t know their Kanien’kéha names, and to me, that’s sad.”

Beauvais organizes regular socials to teach the children Kanien’kéha. A parent’s generous donation funded moccasins for all the children to wear during the socials, and the school plans to use some fundraised money to also buy all the children traditional outfits.

“Even if they don’t have that stuff at home, they will have it at daycare so that everybody is included,” said Beauvais.

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Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter