Skip to content

Stettler dayhome raises money for causes close to the heart

When Cara Donofrio heard about a local child with cancer, her heart just tore to bits.

When Cara Donofrio heard about a local child with cancer, her heart just tore to bits.

Donofrio runs Superstar Dayhome here in Stettler, and is the mother of a little girl herself. Imagining her child having cancer and having to go back-and-forth between the hospital and home was something she could feel painfully in her soul.

With that impetus, she turned her children and their parents toward trying to help, and in that case, spent the month raising money to help cover the costs being racked up by the family in question.

“I saw Brenda's Cozy Café selling cupcakes for her and I thought I could do something, too,” Donofrio said.

“Something” turned out to be a cupcake picnic for kids and family, and it brought in $540.

Donofrio decided that each month, she'd have her dayhome raise money for a different cause. While they'd not be able to raise anything extravagant, she said, every little bit helps.

This month, they're raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). One of the children that takes part in her dayhome has the disease.

“I wanted to incorporate causes close to our parents' hearts,” Donofrio said. “Each month, parents will be able to suggest our charity.”

For this month, Donofrio has created a “toy tower” with several hundred dollars' worth of toys. She's selling tickets  for a draw, which will be held at the end of month. The tickets are $5 each.

“I write your name and number on the back of the ticket and it goes in the box, and at the end of the month one of the kids will draw the winner,” she said.

Donofrio has plans for a bottle drive for next month, with the proceeds going to the Heartland Youth Center.

“We'll not raise a lot of money, but it all counts,” she said. “And it teaches the kids about helping others, and about the causes we're trying to help.”

People wanting to buy a ticket can do so through the Superstar Dayhome Facebook page or by phoning Donofrio's cell phone at 250-793-1484.