The fundraising effort to allow Kids Express Daycare to move to the Prairie View Campus has received a big boost with a donation from John C. and Ruth Vander Haag.
In 2024 Prairie View Campus approached Kids Express to relocate their daycare facility to their vacant memory care wing: Kuiper Villa. This innovative collaboration would enable both entities to create a unique intergenerational environment where children and seniors can engage in meaningful activities together. This integration of services would not only enhance the quality of life for both groups but also set a new standard for community collaboration and be a first in the state.
In May of 2024 after many phone calls, clarifications and meetings both Kids Express and Prairie View Campus started on the fundraising portion of this project.
Since then both entities have been successful at being awarded various grants, experienced successful fundraising, donation match challenges and in-kind donations. It would be safe to say that Melissa Michels, Kids Express Daycare Director, has been passionate in her drive to make this collaboration successful and the community of Sanborn has been overwhelming with their support.
On April 24 the daycare project was honored with an extremely generous donation from John C. and Ruth Vander Haag, in the amount of $50,000. This will bring the current fundraising amount to $450,000 which is coming at a perfect time as the daycare works with the city to apply for The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and they are hopeful that they will be awarded $600,000 from that grant.
“I am very thankful to Ruth and John for supporting this cause,” said Michels. “It was important to me to honor the history of the daycare and Prairie View during this project. The daycare would not exist without Ruth. Honoring our past as we move forward into this exciting venture is a fundamental part of our mission and values at the daycare. That’s what makes small town Iowa great. We know our neighbors, we know our community, and we know this project will ensure a quality daycare is present in Sanborn for years to come. This donation truly represents the strong connection Kids Express and Prairie View will have going forward together.” 
John C. and Ruth are no strangers to both entities. Ruth was one of the first board members involved in the organization of Kid’s Express and you can’t mention Prairie View’s name without thinking of John C.
John C. is no stranger to Prairie View Campus and all of the various expansions, additions, re-models or new offered services that have been added on to it over the past 58 years. A founding member of Prairie View Leasing Inc., the board that operates Prairie View Campus, John played a crucial role in shaping the mission and vision of what Prairie View Retirement Home was and what Prairie View Campus has become. He was an invaluable member of the Board of Directors of Prairie View Leasing from 1964 until his retirement in March of 2017. Serving on that board for over 53 years, many of which he served as President, he has always been of interest and support of the campus and this recent generosity is proof of such continued support. John’s commitment to continuous improvement and community engagement reflects his dedication to making Prairie View Campus a model of excellence in long-term care and leader of new collaborations.
In honor of John C. & Ruth’s generous donation, the courtyard area of the daycare, where lots of giggles and laughter will occur, will be named the John C. & Ruth Vander Haag Children’s Courtyard.
If you would like to help fund this collaboration you still have time to donate. Visit the Kids Express Daycare website at sanborndaycare.com or reach out to Melissa Michels at (712) 930-5535 or Prairie View Administrator Wendy Nelson at (712) 930-3228. Said Nelson, “To all who have supported this project, THANK YOU so much for your support, it is going to be amazing!”