Chairwoman of the kindergarten establishment committee, Geraldine Duncan, of Gimmerburn, was delighted with the success of the group's latest fundraising venture - a pig hunt which attracted 130 entries.
It raised at least $3000 and hunters from the Maniototo, Alexandra, Temuka and Dunedin took part.
"It was something a bit different for us and we're looking for fundraising events that draw in a wider group of people, so we're not always asking our local community to put their hands in their pockets" she said.
"There's lots of keen hunters in the area and this fundraiser certainly seemed to get the guys interested."
The committee, working under the Central Otago Kindergarten Association, has already raised more than $30,000 in the past eight months to set up the area's first kindergarten.
It will be located on the Maniototo Area School grounds in Ranfurly.
The association has allocated $200,000 towards the $590,000 needed to establish the kindergarten.
The establishment committee was hoping for start-up funding from the Government's Early Childhood Discretionary Grant Scheme but that is under review and no funding application will be accepted until October.
"That's been a little frustrating because we were waiting to apply and first it was delayed until January [this year], then March and now October," Mrs Duncan said.
However, the funds from the association would give the committee a "baseline" so it could apply to other avenues of funding .
There was no date for construction to begin, as it would depend on funding, but enrolments were already being taken through the association.
The facility will be licensed for 30 children, employ four or five qualified teachers and would serve a wide area, she said.
"We've already established there is a great need for this service."
Early childhood services in the area now include a playcentre and home-based care.
The pig hunt was so successful, the committee would consider making it a regular event.
There were several prizes with the top one, $1000 cash, given to the hunter or hunting team with the boar nearest the average weight of those killed in the hunt.
The heaviest boar was 77.9kg.
Young hunters could enter possums, hares and rabbits in the competition.
