A drive to help fund a new playground for local students is in the final stretch.
The playground at Whitmore Lake Elementary has stood there as long as the school and is in need of repair. Along with aging equipment, poor drainage on the site often causes the playground to become unusable during wet weather. As a result, the school, with help from the community, has launched Project Playground: $50K for Play to help pay for the required fixes. With a week left in the project, Playground Committee Chair Heidi Roy-Borland said they are only a few thousand dollars away from their $50,000 goal. Roy-Borland said that if they hit their goal, there will be further opportunities for the community to help with the project. For those that would like to get involved with building the set, they are looking for an additional 20 to 25 volunteers on Saturday, July 21st. Eight to 10 more are also needed that day to help with registering people, preparing meals, and doing other various small tasks.

The students at Whitmore Lake Elementary have taken a big part in helping design the new structure. Second graders worked with teachers and a playground ground designer to dream up their ideal playscape. They took accessibility for kids with different abilities and needs into consideration and then created a survey for kindergartners through 6th graders to fill out on what they thought. This Friday, June 1st, is the last day to donate. For more information, or to donate, visit Whitmore Lake Public School’s website, www.wlps.net. (MK)