To the editor:

I am the proud owner of Lil’ Tykes Daycare and Enrichment Center, the new daycare coming to Bloomingdale soon. When I purchased the former St. Paul’s Catholic Church last summer, I knew the cost of renovations was much more than I could afford. I needed to organize fundraisers and ask for help.

Growing up in this community is a huge blessing and I value its closeness. Successful fundraisers for my high school yearbook and sports teams inspired me to call on our community for my current fundraising needs. This community did not disappoint!

The following people and businesses donated or offered a service at a discount to help make this project a reality. I would like to personally thank:

Michael Boon Contracting, Snickles Plumbing and Heating, Greggor’s Plumbing, Heating and Electrical, Heat Keepers, Rapid Roofing, Duff’s Dumpsters, Coakley’s Home and Hardware, GemBoy Productions, Tupper Lake Golf Club, Stewart’s Shops, Hyde Fuel, Market 32, Hyde Mobil, Saranac Waterfront Lodge, Hotel Saranac, Village Mercantile, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Adirondack Carousel, Breakfast Club, Jamdots Baking Company, Janie’s for Hair, Early Dawn Confections, Generations, ADK Artrise, ADK CAVU Cafe, All Seasons Floral, Adirondack Corner Store, SL Hot House Garden Center, Willy Nilly Gardening, Nori’s Village Market, Woods and Waters, Neiderbuhl Brothers, Nonna Fina, Rice Furniture, Northern Extinguisher and Fire Safety, Teddy’s Ice Cream and Grill, Nutrition 365, Lakeview Catering, Romano’s Saranac Lanes, Saratoga Eagle Sales and Service, Raquette River Brewing, Belvedere Restaurant, Hex and Hop, R and L Towing, Barbara Foley — The Shamrock Bar and Grill, Terrance Henck — Top of the World Designs, Max Nason — Happy Camping RV Sales/Service and MX Productions, Sammy Swoosh Yelle — Vestopia Hoops, Michelle Hetfield, — photographer, Lisa McGill, Katie Rocque, Ann Willette, Renee Hooker, Debbie Neill, Lisa Paschke and Gail Meyer.

Three significant donors who have our grateful acknowledgement are Francis Jessie and Craig and Connie Weatherup. Funding advice and assistance came from the Adirondack Community Action Program, Adirondack Economic Development Corporation, Adirondack Foundation, Adirondack North Country Association, Birth-3 Alliance and the Small Business Development Center. I look forward to working with them in the future to help our community.

Thank you to all of the community members who donated to our other fundraisers. I appreciate you all and am very grateful. The children in our community deserve the best. Your contributions and participation have supported them in the best way possible.

I am happy to say that renovations are almost complete and we are having a Community Open House on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 5-8 p.m. All of you are invited to come and see the transformation from a beloved church (which still contains a lot of the same unique church elements) into a bright, playful and entertaining space for our youngest community members.

Thank you again for everything you have done to help make Lil’ Tykes a safe and fun learning environment for the future generation. Sincerely,

Lindsey Murray

Director/owner, Lil’ Tykes Daycare and Enrichment Center

Bloomingdale