Friday April 10, 2020 ~ VICTORIA
[Update May 9, 2020: now $33,010 raised by 768 donors’ while they have surpassed the GoFundMe goal, their actual goal for next year’s operating capital is $72,000]
[Update April 30, 2020: now $32,327 raised of the $18,000 goal, by 759 donors]
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
The much-loved Beacon Hill Children’s Farm has laid off most of its staff and access to the public is closed, due to adhering to COVID-19 physical distancing by both the farm and the public.
With many farm animals usually on site, the business has been operated since 1985 by the Koenders family in conjunction with the Beacon Hill Farm Society. The popular attraction in James Bay near Dallas Road has been educational as well as an economical form of entertainment for families.
Their main goal is to help children develop a respect for animals that will remain with them for life.
In one day, the $6,000 goal of their first GoFundMe crowd-source funding page (dubbed a “Goat-Fund-Me” page) was surpassed. They have launched another, now with a goal of $18,000 which has again in 24 hours raised $22,510 (thanks to 571 donors as of 10 pm this evening April 10). The page was launched by the farm’s manager Claudia Laube, and Chloe White.
The farm needs about $72,000 in order to feed and take care of the animals, and open again in spring 2021.
The farm usually opens from the first week of March and stays open until Thanksgiving Monday in mid-October. They did open for a few days in March, but had to close for the protection of staff and visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their only source of revenue is donations that visitors pay to visit the park.
Presently only three staff out of 20 are maintaining the basic operations of the farm that is situated within the City of Victoria’s Beacon Hill Park.
Animals include goats, pigs, cows, chickens, peacocks, alpacas, and more.
Some of the animals are still on-site (with others being cared for at a farm elsewhere). Videos of the animals are available online on the Beacon Hill Children’s Farm Facebook page.