The Annual P.L.A.Y. Preschool Craft Auction returns on Nov. 15 to the Bluewater Avalon restaurant. Each year, P.L.A.Y. Preschool holds this craft auction that serves as its major fundraiser and provides the resources the school needs throughout the year.
P.L.A.Y. is celebrating 48 years of being open, and it has overcome many struggles to become and stay open this long. It all began in February 1969 when a group of Avalon parents began writing to congressmen, senators, federal and state agencies asking for help in starting a preschool. Doctors Raymond Rydell and Julianne Gensley of California State Colleges’ department of elementary education assisted the committee of parents, consisting of Doreen Stout, Trudy Saldana, Leslie Shannon, Rosemary Lee, Denise Burns, Bunny Putnam, and Carol Whelchel. They started a month-long summer program July 1969.
El Encanto was chosen as the best location available for the preschool. Avalon City’s recreation program provided some financial aid for the school. Registration fees, bake sales, and donations from service clubs, individuals and community organizations provided the rest of the funds needed to completely remodel “The Surf Room,” as the classroom was called. All labor was donated.
At the end of January 1970, Avalon’s first co-operative preschool opened with its first class of 25 students. The board of directors for the year were president Vickie Morris, vice-president Carol Whelchel, secretary Jane Budd, treasurers Mitzi Brown and Dorothea Gonzales, and participation chairman Janet Given.
A new location was needed in June 1973, and the parents of the preschool began searching for alternatives. The search didn’t yield any results through the summer months, and it looked like P.L.A.Y. wouldn’t have anywhere to open in the fall. Through the generosity of John Leonhardi, the project was not allowed to die. He donated the use of the Country Club banquet room and patio for the school’s use.
The next year, 1973-74, the basement of the Avalon Community Church was rented, but the school began to need a place of permanence. At the Community Church, school equipment had to be moved in and out of the space and the beginning and end of each term. The amount of classroom equipment was growing each year, and continually moving it without loss or damage became difficult.
This problem came to the attention of Mr. and Mrs. P. K. Wrigley at the end of that school year. Since the Bird Park had some buildings that were not being used at that time, the Wrigleys were approached. They agreed to a lease, and finally, after 5 years of uncertainty, the preschool program had a place to call home.
Parents and community members worked hard to convert the Bird Park into a suitable place for the preschool activities. On September 22, 1975, the school opened the classroom which it still occupies today. June Koetz was the supervising teacher. The board of directors for the first year at the Bird Park classroom were president Wendy McElroy, vice-president Sue Ur, secretary Bonnie O’Guin, treasurer Barbara Helman, participation chair Jeannie Quesenberry, and coordinator Kathy Moritz.
Now in its 48th year, the school is looking more fabulous than ever. The Bird Park Aviary functions as a giant sandbox playground with plenty of opportunity for the students to learn through play. Numerous improvements have been made to the property and classroom over the years. The current director/teacher, Tina Kennedy, and teacher’s assistant, Kat Chace, have one combined class of 15 students aged 3 to 5, with a second class to open in January. This year’s board of directors are president Leah Keeline, vice-president Breann Bussard, fundraising chairpersons Jennifer Monroe and Christy Alegria, treasurer Leslie Welham, participation chair Veronica Fuentes, and secretary Caitlyn Canby.
The Annual P.L.A.Y. Preschool Craft Auction will be held at Bluewater Avalon on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 5 to 9 p.m. Entry tickets are $10 each and include heavy hors d’oeuvres, homemade dessert, and one door prize ticket. There will be a cash bar.
The event will include a live craft auction and a silent auction. Door prizes are pulled throughout the night to win items and experiences donated from businesses in town. Hors d’oeuvres start at 5 p.m., and we aim to begin the live auction at 6 p.m.
Door prize and grand prize tickets can be purchased before the auction from P.L.A.Y. parents or during the event. This year’s Grand Prize is a “California Staycation” including four Disneyland one-day park-hopper tickets, a stay at an Airbnb in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, plus activities & more in San Diego!
The community is invited to attend. P.L.A.Y. parents and teachers expressed their gratitude for those who attend, and all the businesses and individuals who donate time, money, and prizes to make this event a success each year.
