Molly from the Cedar Way PTO updates us on the recent installation of the new playground equipment at Cedar Way Elementary:
We are excited to share that we are very close to completing our Pepsi project – replacing old playground equipment for students at Cedar Way Elementary!
On July 23, 2011 – on a beautiful, blue sky Saturday – 60+ people from our community came together to make a difference for our kids. Our goal that day was to assemble all of the wonderful, new equipment for our playground. The original playground had old, uninspired and not up to code pieces – some dating from 1959! Our vendor had removed the old pieces and a smaller volunteer team (with the help of our local mayor Jerry Smith) had already removed all of the woodchips. It was now up to us to put together all of the equipment.
On the build Saturday we had one supervisor who oversaw volunteers unloading the equipment truck and then handing out installation instructions. Teams of volunteers next went on scavenger hunts for pieces and tools and then got to work on the hard part of assembly. The most difficult piece was a play web – a 10+ foot tall hexagon structure with intricate rope webbing – which required six ladders and multiple hands and a lot of cooperation to help put the piece together.
We finished ahead of schedule around 2:00 p.m. that day, exhausted but exhilarated. All that’s left to do now is have the vendor pour the concrete footings, touch up a few pieces, install two pieces that didn’t arrive on time and blow in the wood chips. Oh, and have the grand opening ceremony sometime probably in late August!
Our community came together to vote (4 different times on the boards!) and helped us to win $50,000 from the Pepsi Refresh Project finally in December of 2010. With the Pepsi grant, a grant from the local Hubbard Foundation and money raised through the school and Parent Teacher Organization – we were able to contribute $60,000 to the playground build. Edmonds School District was then able to match our contribution at 55% through a capital partnership levy so that we were able to not only fund our playground equipment and replacement costs, but we’ll also be able to build the second part of our overall playground project which is an outdoor learning space and garden.
We are so thankful for the chance to compete in the Pepsi Refresh Project and to benefit from our win. This Fall our kids will be able to play on new equipment and it’s all thanks to everyone who voted and made a difference!
I had thee best time that morning. I was in charge of WAIVERS!! Everyone there was amazing. Thanks for posting this! ~ Margaret Montgomery