Claire is a kindergarten student at Huntsville Public School, watching her classmates as they play on a playground she wishes she could use.
Q: If you could play on this play ground, what are some of the things you’d like to do?
Claire: On the slide.
Q: Is there anywere else you’d like to go?
Claire: On the monkey bars.
The school’s playground committee is hoping to make Claire’s dream come true as they’ve been raising funds over the past several months in order to build and a fully accessible playground. Cogeco News has been following this story since May 2017 and teacher Kerri-Lynn Knappett says there’s been some mayor progress.
“We’ve got about half of the funds raised to get this thing up and going, so we’re really excited about that,” says Knappett. “A lot of companies and organizations from the community have donated money towards the project as well as families and individuals. It’s been beautiful to see. As well, we received the rubber surfacing grant from Rethink Tires, so we have $100,000 just to put towards that so we’re really stoked and glad.”
Huntsville Public has entered into the Aviva Community Fund competition where residents can vote for projects they think should receive a grant.
“We’re hoping to get another $25,000 from Aviva and then with the [TLDSB] board matching, that would be $50,000. With the project and with the rubber surfacing grant that we’ve been given, we have a deadline for September. So, we absolutely have to build this summer or else the grant is null and void. We are in a hurry now. We need to get all the money by this summer so we can have enough money to do a really beautiful playground.”
You do have to register on the Aviva Community Fund website before you can vote for your favourite project, you can vote for the same project multiple times. When asked why residents should vote for this project, Knappett says she can’t speak enough to how important it is to have a truly accessible playground.
“This playground will be open to the entire public. That includes tourists, that includes community groups, that includes everyone at the times when most people want to come to the playground; in the summer, after school, during the weekends, at all times. Also, we have a school population of 500 students here. I get blown away by how the students want this to happen not just for themselves, but for their friends who have special needs. When you’ve got kids and parents and teachers and community workers on your side and wanting this, it’s a beautiful tie in to just speak to how great our town is and what a beautiful place is it to live.”
The deadline to vote is Oct. 19, the finalists will be announced on Nov. 1 and the winners on Dec. 5.
Just in case you need a little extra convincing...
Q: Would you like Huntsville Public to have a new playground?
Claire: Yes.