By: Allison Brody
Begun just over 45 years ago as the Williamsburg Preschool for Special Children, Child Development Resources is now a full-grown private nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that serves nearly 1,000 children ages birth to three and their families each year and also rains over 10,000 early care professionals.
Many of the infants and toddlers are served in partnership and coordination with Colonial Behavioral Health. In March of every year (for the past 34 years), CDR has staged its largest annual fundraiser: the Bid ‘n Buy Auction. Dollars raised from auction help CDR to support critical programs for children with disabilities and developmental delays and those at-risk for delay.
Last year, proceeds provided new therapeutic toys and equipment, outstanding child care to some of the youngest and most vulnerable citizens in our community as well as weekly developmental playgroups to children enrolled in any CDR home-based program.
This year’s auction is on Sunday March 18, 2012. It’s back at Lafayette High School at 4460 Longhill Road in Williamsburg. Doors open 11:30 a.m. and it is free and open to the public. It’s an event that the whole family can enjoy and includes a Silent Auction, Live Auction, Gourmet Market, Kids’ Corner by Busch Gardens, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Birthday Cake, Hot Dogs, Pizza and much more!
CDR’s Auction is special not only because it has some of the very best auction items but also because it is a reunion and homecoming for children and families who have been served in the past.
More than any other CDR event, the shows what a profound impact CDR and its partners are able to make on individual lives. Parents of children served are some of the primary reasons the auction succeeds each year. For many years the auction is set up, arranged, and held together by CDR Board member Andy Dayton whose son Drew, who has Down Syndrome, was served over 15 years ago. The longtime leader of the live auction is former board member Cindy Hamrick whose son David, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, was served over 25years ago. This year’s auction is chaired by Karen Plumley, whose daughter, Naomi, only just left CDR for preschool.
To learn more about CDR’s programs and services, please visit our newly re-launched Web site cdr.org. To preview the auction catalog visit auction.cdr.org and click on catalog! The catalog of items will also be available in The Virginia Gazette in the Saturday, March 10 edition.
To learn more about CDR’s programs and services, please visit our newly re-launched Web site cdr.org. To preview the auction catalog visit auction.cdr.org and click on catalog! The catalog of items will also be available in The Virginia Gazette in the Saturday, March 10 edition.
Allison Brody has lived in Williamsburg for twenty years and has worked in nonprofit organizations, including Colonial Williamsburg, GuideStar, and United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg, for the majority of that time. Allison has been Director of Development at CDR for almost five years and spends as much free time as she can watching her son play baseball.