Manheim Christian Day School (MCDS) is outgrowing its space, and that's a good thing. The school, which serves students in prekindergarten through grade eight, is in the midst of a $3.5 million capital campaign to make room for more students, and two upcoming events will support the campaign.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, the school will hold a car wash on-site at 686 Lebanon Road, Manheim. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Payment for the car wash will be by donation.

"We plan to have a lot of our students helping with the car wash, particularly our middle school students," said board member Garrett Derr. "We wanted to find a way to include some of our students in the process of our expansion and building project."

On Thursday, Sept. 21, the school will host a fundraiser banquet at Chiques Church, 4045 Sunnyside Road, Manheim. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the event will run until 9 p.m.

"Our guest speaker for the evening is Matt Maher," Derr said, noting that he is not to be confused with the Christian singer of the same name. "Matt is a pastor out of New Jersey, and he's an author and podcast host." Maher produces content under the brand Truth Over Trend.

MCDS is looking for people to sponsor tables for groups of eight people at the banquet. "There is room for about 400 people in the space, so we're hoping to have a large crowd," Derr remarked. Once tables have been reserved, reservations will open to individuals.

The expansion project at MCDS began after attendance surged at the faith-based private school. "We got to the point where we were turning a lot of families away because we just didn't have the space for them," Derr shared. "We started out with one class per grade level, with the exception of prekindergarten and kindergarten, which each had two classes." Now the school has expanded to include two first-grade classes, with plans to continue doubling classes, one each year, through fourth grade.

The renovations will include five new classrooms and furnishings for 100 new students, a kitchen expansion, bathroom renovations and more. "To be sure everything is up to code and ADA compliant, we will be putting in an elevator," he stated. "We'll also be repaving and adding parking."

The renovation process revealed additional needs at the building as well, he said, adding, "We realized we need a whole new septic system and a whole new HVAC system for the entire school."

Plans are underway for the project to begin at the end of the current school year, which will conclude a little earlier in May to accommodate construction. Derr said the school hopes to finish the bulk of the work over the summer of 2024, with students returning after Labor Day.

Derr knows firsthand the benefits of attending MCDS, as his three daughters are students at the school. "One of the best things about our school is it's just a family-centered environment," he said. "We're really excited about everything that's happening here. We really desire for our students to grow up in a faith-based environment, a place where parents can send their kids to receive a solid education and grow up in a Christ-centered space."

For more information on the school or to register for the banquet, visit https://manheimchristian.org/build.