Sherman Oaks preschool owner lets staff be kids for a day with surprise holiday trip to Disneyland
"They're amazing and they've been through the whole thing with me," she said.
SHERMAN OAKS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Southern California preschool owner went the extra mile to make her staff feel appreciated for the holidays and felt there was only one place that would truly make it happen: Disneyland.
Karen Beninati, who owns the WeVillage Children's Early Education Center in Sherman Oaks, surprised her staff with the tickets on Friday.
"It was a total surprise in the morning when she told us and she's like, 'You're not going to work today! The center is closed. We're going to go to Disneyland,'" said Cassidy Barnes, the school's lead infant teacher.
Beninati said the trip took several months to plan. She said she's grateful for her staff who stuck by her side during the most troubling times, including the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"They're amazing and they've been through the whole thing with me," she said. "It's very tricky running a preschool with all the requirements and the health and safety and, you know, parents' schedules are kind of like all over the place and it's been very challenging."
So as a token of gratitude, the WeVillage staff got to unwind at the happiest place on Earth, and this time, they got to be the kids. One worker recently moved to Southern California and it was her first visit to Disneyland.
"Seeing each other outside of work and how we acted and how fun and goofy we are, too, it really just brought us all even closer than we already are," said infant teacher Alex Wilson.
It's safe to say Beninati earned a new title as "the best boss ever."
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of this station.
