CCS hosting virtual Valentine’s Day event

PALMER n— CCS Early Learning is celebrating Valentine’s Day and their 50th anniversary with a virtual celebration.

CCS Executive Director Mark Lackey said they normally hold a Valentine’s banquet event with the public each year, but this year’s event was moved to a more socially distanced model. He said it was a great opportunity to gather various voices to highlight in a prerecorded video that will broadcast over Facebook Live Feb. 13 at 6 p.m.

The video will cut between various interviews featuring alumni, staff, teachers, parents, and current students Lackey said the main theme for this event is centered around their 50th anniversary, celebrating where they’ve been, where they are, and where they hope to go.

“We’ll just be celebrating the 50 years, and engaging the public the best we can during different times. We’re excited about it. We’re still getting the final pieces together, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Lackey said.

Participating couples will have the option to order a takeout dinner package with a bottle of wine from Evangelo’s for the event. He noted that they’re also arranging for volunteers to deliver the meals.

“The primary reason we’re doing that this year is to support Evangelo’s. So many businesses are having a hard time right now. So, we wanted to include them if we could,” Lackey said.

Lackey explained that their normal Valentine’s celebration serves as a fundraiser. The emphasis for this year’s event is all about connection, described as a “virtual friend-raiser.”

“50 years. It’s been a long time. I’ve been here for almost half of those,” Lackey said with a laugh. “We’re excited about it. It’s gonna be a fun recording... It’ll almost be like a movie… Just talking about how we got here and what the next 50 years might look like,” Lackey said. “That’s the way we’re telling the community thanks this year.”

CCS reached several significant milestones over the years, but their most recent one came during an interesting time. Lackey said they were finally able to open the doors to the new Palmer facility, just not how they figured prior to the pandemic.

“It’s been weird. Things haven’t been normal,” Lackey said with a laugh.

The official opening for the Palmer facility was originally intended for the spring of 2020 but it was delayed until June, starting with just the younger students. Lackey said they brought in the Head Start students in the Fall of 2020 with the other schools in the district.

“We kind of pre-paused,” Lackey said.

According to Lackey, CCS is currently serving half their normal number of students to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“We didn’t turn anybody away or kick anybody out. We just didn’t enroll any new children,” Lackey said.

Lackey said they’ve had some positive cases and contact across agencies, but they’ve been fortunate with the minimal exposure and been able to maintain effective social distancing throughout their various facilities, requiring masks, performing contact tracing and other duties, and keeping each classroom in their own “little bubbles.”

“That’s worked pretty well… It’s been a very different year, but overall I’d say it’s been very successful for us,” Lackey said.

Lackey said they’re currently waiting to find out if they’ll receive funding that they can potentially use to establish a new facility in the Knik-Fairview area. He said they’re hoping to hear back on the federal grants they applied for within the next month or so.

“Any day now… It’s very competitive, and it might not happen, but we’re hoping,” Lackey said.

CCS Early Learning offers Head Start and Early Head Start preschool programs in Palmer, Wasilla, Meadow Lakes, and Chugiak. For more information, call 907-373-7000 or visit ccsalaska.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com