Spring into Action for Peopleplace

Spring into Action for Peopeplace and enjoy a night out at our annual fundraiser and auction! Gather at historic Pascal Hall in Rockport Harbor to celebrate our community and raise funds to support Peopleplace's work to make high-quality childcare and nature-based early childhood education accessible to families in the midcoast.

Enjoy:

• Delicious food sourced from our generous, local community
• Open bar with Ben Curtis
• Live music from bluegrass band Playin' Possum
• Live auction and silent auction with 20+ amazing offerings to Experience and Explore
• Donating to our Fund-a-Project paddle raise
• Connecting with friends, family, and community

Your support is critical to help us meet our fundraising goal of $45,000, and we look forward to celebrating with you!

Additional details below!

We are so grateful to our generous community for offering more than 20 incredible items, experiences, and trips! Select items will be available for bidding during the Live Auction beginning at 7:30 pm, led by guest auctioneer (and Peopleplace grandparent), Dale Schaetzke. Additional items will be available through Silent Auction throughout the evening.

We are still accepting auction donations and appreciate your generosity. Please email ZnVuIHwgcGVvcGxlcGxhY2Vjb29wICEgb3Jn for more information.

Proxy/absentee bids will be allowed and can be placed in advance for specific items. Please email ZnVuIHwgcGVvcGxlcGxhY2Vjb29wICEgb3Jn for more information.

There's something for everyone! Come ready to bid generously on a range of incredible things to Experience and Explore, including:

• Harbor cruises and private charters
• Stays at vacation homes in Sugarloaf and Sonoma, California
• Private concerts/party from local band R0ckville
• Experiences for kids (or kids at heart!) from: Herring Gut, Midcoast Music Academy, Camden Ballet Theater, Owl’s Head Transportation Museum, and more
• Art workshops, cooking lessons, soccer tutorials, music lessons, pickleball parties, gardening consultations, and more
• Gift certificates to a range of local restaurants and businesses
• Cedarworks benches, gallery art prints, high-end grills, and other speciality items

All winning bids must be paid in full before event close. Some items may have reserve prices. All forms of payment accepted (cash, check, card).

A special thanks to the Lesher Family Foundation for donating the use of Pascall Hall for our event!

Why do we fundraise? Why are we asking you to give generously and join us in supporting Peopleplace's mission? High-quality early childhood education is one of the best investments a society can make. For more than 40 years, we have nurtured the development of hundreds of children and supported their families. In order to keep this transformative experience accessible, we need your support.

• Knox and Waldo counties face an acute childcare crisis (not enough care to meet demand; full-time and flexible childcare remains unaffordable for most families)
• 40% of our current families receive some form of tuition assistance
• The state's Child Care Affordiability Program offers subsidies for qualifying families, but does not cover the full cost of tuition and has a current waitlist of over 1,000 qualified families. In order to accept these families, we must make-up the shortfall.
• Our costs are rising (including market rate teacher wages), but we cannot continue to raise tuition without significantly decreasing access for working families already struggling to afford childcare.
• These are systemic issues, and we continue to advocate at the state and local level for more affordable care.
• Research shows high-quality early childhood education increases workforce participation and family economic stability and sets children up for long-term academic and economic success. The ROI in this investment is powerful.

Also check out other Music events in Rockport, Entertainment events in Rockport, Kids events & activities in Rockport.