By Louie Graves
News-Leader Staff
A big “exhibition” check was a big step and good news for a Howard County Children’s Center project, last week.
Tyson Foods presented a grant in the amount of $40,000 to HCCC to help construct and equip a new Rainbow Learning Center daycare and therapy center for children with disabilities.
The big check was presented by Tyson Complex Manager Paul Britt and Human Resources Manager Ken Young, both members of the HCCC board of directors. Accepting the check were HCCC administrator Tim Freel and Lana Burney, program manager of the Rainbow Learning Center.
Rose Ray, administrative assistant at HCCC made the grant application.
The new facility will be built on donated property which faces Howard Memorial Hospital on Honeycutt Road west of the current HCCC campus.
Rainbow Learning Center mixes disabled and non-disabled children, ages toddler to five years for the daycare service.
At the new center, persons with developmental disabilities can get speech, physical and other therapies from professional staff.
At the presentation Wednesday were three Tyson employees who have children enrolled at Rainbow Learning Center.
In the grant application form, Ray noted that the current facility was full and the number of children in need of the facility is growing. Disabled children are accepted first, then non-disability children fill out the enrollment.
The expected cost of the new facility is $1.3 million.
