Community Leader Honoured

Photo: (L to R) Kalamalka Rotary President Neil Perry joins Vocational Chairs Dr. James Mayne and Tanner Udenberg  to present the 2017 Vocational Service Award to Cheryl Heidt, Executive Director of Enderby Preschool.
Photo courtesy of Prime Light Media.

The Executive Director of the Enderby Preschool has been honoured for her commitment to childhood learning.

Cheryl Heidt has been presented with Kalamalka Rotary’s annual Vocational Service Award.

“October is Rotary Vocational Service Month, which promotes the value of all professions and recognizes an individual in the club or community that exemplifies outstanding professional achievement while maintaining high ethical standards,” says Vocational Co-Chair James Mayne.

“As Executive Director of Enderby Preschool Society for over 20 years, Cheryl is committed to early childhood learning and providing the appropriate support to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed,” says co-chair Tanner Udenburg.

At the start of her job, Heidt ensured there was sufficient resources available for the children, developed policies and procedures to meet licensing standards and fundraised to support building improvements, and more recently, the construction of an outdoor playground.

Over the past two years, Heidt’s time and energy has been focused on her vision of expanding the preschool to also provide full time daycare to meet the community’s growing needs. The total cost: $625,000.

Heidt’s fundraising efforts provided a significant amount of in-kind work for the new building, along with furnishings and supplies. She was successful in receiving a Provincial Government Grant of over $424,000, under the B.C. Early Years Strategy, to create 32 additional licensed childcare spaces. The new Daycare officially opened October 10 and three-quarters of the spaces are already full.

Heidt says she saw the need, and was up for the challenge.

“While I may have underestimated how much work would be involved to build a brand new daycare, on opening day I knew it was all worth it. This daycare will enhance the lives of children, their families and the community and I am happy to be a part of that.”