More Than 120 Businesses, Writers, and Artists Come Together for Kids' Corner Raffle
You can help, too
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.
BAR HARBOR—A chance to win or create a huge basket full of diverse items and help some of the children of Mount Desert Island? It’s a bit of a win-win.
More than 120 local people and businesses took that win and have donated to make 12 gigantic baskets for Kids’ Corner, a local non-profit, community-based childcare center, to raffle off. Now the center is hoping that a lot of people will donate and have a chance to win one of those baskets.
The donations and the raffle are gifts of love to a community full of Mount Desert Island’s youngest members and staff.
It’s also a gift for the future.
“Together, we are raising tomorrow’s leaders,” Kids’ Corner’s website reads.
The raffle event, back after a bit of a hiatus, also helps assure that tomorrow’s leaders will be able to keep attending the school that’s anchored the corner of the island community and the corner of Mount Desert and Eden Street for 34 years.
Kids’ Corner has cared for more than 1,000 children since 1990. Children from six weeks old through to kindergarten enrollment attend for “high-quality, developmentally appropriate programs in a responsive environment that supports the diverse needs of all children.” The care is available every weekday and is all day.
“The bonds we’ve built with families are cherished, and it fills us with pride and joy when our KC alumni stop by to share their achievements on their way home from the big school. Our dedicated teachers, with over 75 years of combined experience, are now welcoming the second generation of Kids’ Corner kids, witnessing the growth and impact of our work with awe and gratitude,” the website reads.
The raffle is meant to help keep Kids’ Corner going as well as support the sense of belonging and joy that Executive Director Lori Krupke wants to reinforce in every child and in every interaction.
“Supporting this raffle is more than just going the extra mile—it’s about ensuring Kids' Corner can continue to provide a high-quality environment for your child every day. As a small center, we operate on a tight budget, and this fundraiser is crucial not only for the extras like playground equipment but also for maintaining our day-to-day operations,” Board volunteer, Isabelle Isabelle Legault said. “The positive impact of the Kids' Corner community lasts for years—just ask anyone who’s been part of it.”
Kids’ Corner rents from the Town of Bar Harbor, but it takes care of all the repairs and maintenance on the property as part of its lease. That can add up on the aging building, especially when costs for heating, building materials, and utilities increase.
“Board volunteer, Isabelle Isabelle Legault, took on the task of bringing it back and really has invested countless hours in making it appealing in hopes of success. We rely so heavily on the funds we raise to help us offset the rising costs of running a small business in 2024,” Krupke said.
The raffle started Monday, August 19. Winners will be drawn on Monday, September 23 at the end of the day. There are 12 themed baskets with a diverse assortment of items. Kids’ Corner families, board members, and teachers are expected to sell $250 in tickets, but to meet the $15,000 goal, there needs to be more sales than that.
Each ticket is $10, with bundle deals available: 6 tickets for $50 or 12 tickets for $100. Ticket buyers can pick the basket they’d like to enter for a chance to win.
“We were hearing that many people missed the raffle and the chance for so many people to win big. It also gives us the opportunity to keep all of the funds that we work so hard to raise by the 50/50 raffle,” Krupke said.
“I dare say we are well over 125 donations,” Krupke said. “I think everyone missed it last year and that made for a very favorable response this year.”
“Every sale counts toward making our center the best it can be,” Isabelle Legault said.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
You do not need to know anyone at Kids’ Corner to buy tickets online: https://www.kidscornerbarharbor.org/basket-raffle.
Disclosure: For a very short time, Carrie Jones was the co-chair of the Kids’ Corner board.
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