GC4 Grand Opening launches a new chapter in local child care story
Luckily, the tornadoes stayed away while we cut a giant ribbon and ate cookies safely inside the new building.
In April 2026, GC4 hosted our Grand Opening at the new center on W. Lyons St. in Garner. A tornado watch threatened to put a damper on the festivities, but our hardy North Iowa community showed up in epic fashion, surprising absolutely no one.
More than 50 folks, including Garner dignitaries, a representative from Senator Chuck Grassley’s office, members of the local business community, and GC4 families came together to celebrate the completion of an extremely successful fundraising campaign, and the construction of a state-of-the-art child care center that will serve as a point of pride for years to come.
SPECIAL REMARKS
The ceremony kicked off with a prayer by Pastor Clevey Ragsdale of Garner Evangelical Free Church (the former host site of GC4, to whom we are forever grateful!) that hit the mark perfectly, reminding us what is possible when community members act with a spirit of faith, fellowship, and shared belief in something greater than ourselves.
Next, Chairman of the GC4 Board of Directors Reid Weiland put the day into context, recounting our journey from the seed of an idea by founding church members Holly Brink, David Rosendahl, and Heather Gorder, to becoming the largest child care center in Hancock County, and the only Level 2 IQ4K center in the region.
At the center of Weiland’s story was a bid to secure a Child Care Business Incentive matching grant from Iowa Workforce Development, a harrowing effort led by GC4 to raise $2M in local investment in record time, becoming the largest first-time CCBI recipient ($1.8M) in Iowa history – and sliding in just before ARPA funds ran out at the end of 2024!
Chairman Weiland concluded by thanking Jill Kramer and Laura Zwiefel of Hancock County Economic Development, GC4’s dedicated board members – including Melissa Norman and Katie Reding – and GC4 Director Lauren Hammitt and Assistant Director Natalie Siddell.
Laura Zwiefel, president of Hancock County Economic Development, and David Zrostlik, Chairman and CEO of Stellar, also shared remarks highlighting the economic impact of the new center. Zwiefel emphasized the scale of community partnership required for GC4’s initial launch and long-term success. Zrostlik, the lead local funder of the capital project, described the special relationship between GC4 and Stellar, and expressed his commitment to further expand Stellar operations and maintain a global headquarters in Garner, providing hundreds of jobs for the local economy.
DONOR RECOGNITION & RIBBON CUTTING
Following the remarks, it was time for our donor curtain call. A large white sheet behind the podium was dropped to reveal Zrostlik Family Hall in prominent block letters, positioned in the main entryway right above a cartoon mural of Garner, designed by prolific illustrator Jim Hunt, and featuring Billy Sunday, Duesey Days, the red grain elevator, and more local landmarks and personalities.
Additional curtains were pulled aside to show a donor tree in the style of the GC4 logo, with each green-shaded leaf representing a major gift of $10,000+. A black glass mirrored plaque honored donations above $1,000, with more than 50 donors acknowledged in all. On tours of the facilities and grounds, participants could further view classrooms, playgrounds, and benches naming donors who contributed $15,000 and up.
The cherry on top of the ceremony was a ribbon cutting, held indoors due to the tornado watch. Reid Weiland, Lauren Hammitt, Natalie Siddell, and GC4 students Quinnlea Willard (3), Za’Nora Hamilton (3), and Kelvin Hamilton, Jr. (5) helped cut the ribbon, breaking into cheers and applause as the white threads fell to the ground beneath the cartoon mural.
COOKIES & KIDDOS
After the ceremony, we wrapped up the event with some delicious cookies from The Wooden Pin, a slideshow, mingling, and photo ops. Guests took closer looks at the plaques and classrooms and posed for selfies and group shots in front of the colorful cartoon mural. Spirits were high as community members shared excitement about the impressive new space and reflected on the expanded opportunities for working families.
The following day, GC4 hosted an open house for families where kids took center stage. On a bright, sunny, tornado-free afternoon, children toured their new classrooms, chatted with teachers, munched on cookies, and jumped, slid, and swung their way around the playgrounds. Parents enjoyed socializing by shaded picnic tables while listening to laughter and calls of “hey, watch this!” It was the perfect spring day to close out a thrilling launch week and kick off a wonderful future in our new facility.
