Fundraising for Accessible Playground at Westfield’s Lincoln School Nears Goal
“We just surpassed the $100,000 mark this week,” Laura Skidmore, co-president of the Lincoln School PTO, said.
But more is needed to make the new playground a reality.
Skidmore said it will take $125,000 to cover the expenses for installations, landscaping, renovations and new equipment.
She credited the generosity of private donors as the backbone for the project. Recently, the Westfield Foundation pledged $50,000, and the Optimist Club of Westfield donated $2,500 toward it, as well.
“We cannot thank The Westfield Foundation and the Optimist Club of Westfield enough for their incredibly generous grants and for our entire community for their generous donations. We can’t do it without you,” Skidmore said. “We are almost there, but we have some work to do before June.”
The Lincoln School Parent Teacher Organization is working in conjunction with the Lincoln School on the privately funded initiative for inclusivity, which they call “Project Playground.” Organizers said that the introduction of accessible playground equipment will enable children with mobility challenges to play freely.
Skidmore said that no child should be excluded from interacting with their peers, but the current playground does not accommodate all students.
“Currently, the preschool playground closest to the school has limited accessible equipment, and the kindergarten playground closest to the fence has no accessible equipment,” she said. “Unfortunately, this means that some children, including those with mobility challenges, cannot use the playground equipment.”
“This year, we want to change that and create a playground that is more accessible and more inclusive for more children in our community. Every child should have the opportunity to play and play with their peers.”
If successfully funded, the project is expected to be finished before the start of the 23-24 school year.
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