A group of Shepherdstown Day Care Center students listen to a story last week. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Shepherdstown Day Care (SDC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, with a series of commemorative events already in the works.

According to SDC Board of Directors President Dale Walter, the growth that can be seen from SDC’s founding to today is astounding, with no small thanks due to the Shepherdstown community.

“Thank you for helping us keep our center strong and our programs vibrant,” Walter said. “We appreciate your continued support and baking, and we’re most grateful for the confidence you’ve shown in our mission.”

In SDC’s annual report for 2022, a long list of community members, businesses and organizations could be found, totaling 96 regular financial donors and at least 47 gifts and services donors.

“Looking back over the past 12 months, I am impressed and humbled by the extraordinary outpouring of support the center has received from the community, Our Annual Fund total soared,” Walter said in the SDC Annual Report for 2022. “Due to a combination of generous state grants and support from a growing list of generous donors, our financial foundation is firm, and we are strongly positioned to face whatever the future holds.”

Walter noted that being financially stable has made a significant impact on the certified Tier II provider, its staff and its customers.

“With stabilization funds received from the American Rescue Plan, we have paid off our mortgage, been able to give our staff much deserved raises and bonuses and helped our parents by decreasing tuition,” Walter said of the center, which purchased its building in 1980 from the Jefferson County Board of Education.

SDC first opened its doors in its current building — previously used by the Eastside School — under a lease on Sept. 30, 1973. Prior to opening in the vacant historic building, significant repairs and renovations were required to take place. And, thanks to SDC’s community support, the center has been able to keep up with necessary upgrades to the building, according to Walter.

“We’ve been able to make our building as safe as it can possibly be, with the installation of a new, state-of-the-art security system that gives our facility and our children a level of protection hitherto undreamed of,” Walter said. “The air purifying system we installed late last year makes our inside environment healthy for our children and staff. And, we (have) switched out our fluorescent light fixtures — all 300 of them — for energy efficient LED tube lights, a real budget-saving measure in a time of rising utility costs.”

As far as its calendar of 50th anniversary events are concerned, Walter said news of the events will be shared over the coming months. First up, is a recurring fundraiser that has grown in popularity over the years.

“Our 15th annual wine auction was a sparkling success [in 2022],” Walter said, noting that the next wine auction is right around the corner. “Please mark your calendars for our 16th such event, to be held at the Bavarian Inn on March 31!”

Wine and Scotch tastings, music and light hors d’oeuvres donated by area restaurants are enjoyed at this annual event, which also features a live auction of fine wines, vacation trips, luxury spa sessions and other items. Links to purchase tickets for the event will soon be available at https://shepherdstowndaycare.org/events/.

For those wishing to give the SDC an anniversary present, donations can be made at https://shepherdstowndaycare.org/help-sdc/.