In a dream world, federal, state and local governments would provide all the money that is needed to operate a high quality preschool and daycare. But that’s not the case, and it leaves communities with the task of raising funds.

This Saturday, Sept. 12, Kaleidoscope daycare will hold its most important fundraiser of the year: a dinner and auction. It will take place at the senior center beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The gourmet dinner, called “Island Grown, Island Raised” is $50 per person. It features Puget Sound salmon, and consists entirely of food donated by island farmers.

Kaleidoscope’s kids will add to the occasion by showing off the auction paddles, place mats, and other art works they have made in anticipation of the event.

Auction items are a mix of getaway trips and special services that were donated by island businesses. One of the highlights is a flight aboard a sea plane to Seattle and the opportunity to stay two nights in a houseboat on Lake Union. Popular auctioneer Abby Rueb will run the bidding action.

Kaleidoscope Director Amber Paulsen hopes that the daycare will raise at least $15,000, the amount raised during the 2008 dinner. That would come to about half of what was raise overall last year for operations. But still more may be needed this year, as costs have gone up.

Proceeds from Saturday’s dinner will go entirely to operations, but Kaleidoscope has another major project under way that is need of funding: expanding its facility to care for infants and toddlers.

To buy tickets for the dinner, call 376-2484. Kaleidoscope is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1292 North Beach Road in Eastsound.