A local toy-based social development group for kids is building up its base of programming, but needs the community to add some mortar to the bricks.
Since last March, registered nurse Dyan Eybergen has been offering a Lego Social Skills Group through through Coach Apparent Ltd., her therapy business. Once a week, she has six children show up to work with the building blocks in supervised and structured two-hour sessions. The playtime allows them to build their social skills at the same time.
The group has become so popular that it has been busting at the seams for awhile.
“We had to move out of NABI,” Eybergen explained, referring to the Northern Alberta Business Incubator offices located on Mission Avenue. “We just outgrew the space.”
She is now offering programming with two separate sessions running out of St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Lacombe Park as well as one group in a location at the Terwillegar Recreation Centre in south Edmonton. Eybergen sees a much broader future in play-based therapy for youngsters with delayed social development. She thinks that more expansion is necessary to be able to reach all of the families that could benefit from her therapy sessions.
That’s where crowdfunding comes in. It’s a new and increasingly popular way to garner capital for specific projects, and she’s getting help from ATB Financial. It has spearheaded a new initiative to offer just such a venue called Alberta BoostR. Its website (at www.albertaboostr.ca) describes it as “a place for local businesses to get funding from their supporters, and everyday people who recognize the value of small business.”
Her “Coach Apparent Ltd Lego®-Social Skills Group” campaign is requesting public support for funding to expand into new locations, develop a subsidy program for families that are struggling financially, and buy new Lego kits too.
Each group can support a maximum of 12 kids at a time and there’s a waiting list.
“We’re just having a really hard time meeting the demand,” she confessed. “I’m a sole proprietor and Lego itself costs me between $400 and $600 a month!”
Her campaign’s goal is to bring in $5,000. It is still in the early days of seeking support but it has already received almost 40 per cent of that total. As with most such crowdfunding efforts, there are various gifts being offered for different donation levels. For instance, a $100 donation earns a gift certificate for $25 to the Lego Store. For $750, you can send your kid to Lego camp.
The 45-day campaign ends on December 17. There’s a bit of pressure to the deadline in that none of the contributions get processed if it doesn’t meet its goal.
“Even on the 45th day, if we had $4,999 we wouldn’t get boosted!”
To contact Eybergen about the campaign or her Lego programs, call 780-850-9871 or visit www.coachapparent.com.
Her crowdfunding campaign can be found at www.albertaboostr.ca by searching for ‘Lego’.
