Fort St. John CDC Talent Show raises over $92,000 so far

FORT ST. JOHN B.C. — The Fort St. John Child Development Centre’s (CDC) 51st Annual Talent Show raised over $92,000 in donations towards its capital campaign to expand its building and services. 

Held at the North Peace Cultural Centre on March 15th, the talent show went “very well” and displayed a wide range of talents, according to CDC Executive Director Tana Millner. 

“The talent show was lots of fun, and the community, once again, came through for us,” said Millner. 

According to their website, the CDC is a registered non-profit society supporting children with special needs and their families in Fort St. John and surrounding areas since 1973. The CDC offers programs on autism, early learning, intervention services and more.

Millner was also pleased to see some children who attend CDC programs performing in the show. 

“The time and commitment that our staff put into ensuring that these [kids] are able to reach their goals, and then for them to get on stage is pretty remarkable,” said Millner. 

Millner says all participants gave a standout performance and praises the courage it takes to come out on the stage. 

The executive director says the organization isn’t finished counting donations, which are still rolling in, and expects a total of around $95,000 to be raised. 

This year, the CDC also received a wheelchair-accessible van to help with transportation for CDC programs.

“[The van] is something that we really very much needed, and it will be able to increase services because we do a lot of community engagement,” said Millner. 

The talent show kicked off the CDC’s capital campaign in hopes of raising $500,000, which will also go toward additional development and renovations to existing structures.

Last year’s talent show raised over $91,000, with total funds raised consistently between $75,000 and $100,000 over the last few years. 

The next upcoming event for the CDC is its annual charity golf tournament in September 2024.