A MAJOR MILESTONE IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR LITTLE PEAKS

I am overjoyed to share news about the Campaign for Little Peaks.

Last week, Annette Merle-Smith of Princeton, NJ and Keene Valley, NY, gave a leadership gift to Little Peaks Preschool & Early Childhood Center to initiate the next phase of our campaign and seed our Scholarship Fund.

Given in honor of her husband Fowler (Mike) Merle-Smith, a lifelong educator, Annette wanted to make a lasting impact on education in the Valley. Her gift opens a new phase in our campaign to build, develop, and sustain a high-quality, year-round, full-day childcare center that serves Keene, Keene Valley, and the Adirondack region. Over the past three years, Little Peaks raised funds for our major capital project: the new center. With construction underway, we are delivering on the promise of a beautiful new center for children ages 0-5. Annette Merle-Smith’s gift to initiate our Scholarship Fund moves us into the next phase of the Campaign for Little Peaks. Now, we are intentionally raising funds to ensure that Little Peaks is both universally accessible and financially viable. By this, I mean that Little Peaks remains within reach for all families regardless of household income and that it is a financially-sustainable non-profit organization with enough revenue to operate for generations to come.

This major milestone is moving on so many levels. It is moving to think about the philanthropists who put education first. It is moving to think about the families who are so committed to this Valley. It is moving to think about children flooding into the new center for the first time. And, most importantly, this gift is moving our community-based effort forward by giving us a major head start for sustainability, accessibility, and viability.

Annette and the Merle-Smith family will forever be an integral piece of the Little Peaks initiative. To say that we are grateful is an understatement; we are in awe.

If you, too, would like to be part of the Little Peaks legacy and are interested in supporting the campaign, please contact Executive Director, Reid Jewett Smith. In the meantime, please join me in celebrating this leadership gift, win for education, and organizational milestone!