Forty parents showed up over the weekend at École Marigold Elementary to install the new playground.
“It’s a first in the community to have the parents install the playground, we believe we upwards of saved $45,000 by doing it ourselves,” said mom Sheryl Roodenburg, speaking on behalf of the Marigold elementary parental advisory council. “We were permitted by the school board to install the playground.”
The Marigold PAC fundraised for 10 years to acquire the playground, which boasts many of the contemporary play structures and apparatus, such as duelling zip tracks and rope webbing.
Safety fencing came down from around the playground on Wednesday morning (June 7) and the students couldn’t wait to climb, zip, jump and hang around. There are climbers, balance beams and track riders, designed to inspire children to challenge themselves on the structures.
The playground cost $82,000 with another $25,000 worth of installation features such as wood chips ($10,000), and more.
“We’re very grateful to the many businesses that came forward, many with in-kind donations, such as Don Mann [Excavating] who levelled and graded the site prior to installation,” said Roodenburg. “That would have been up to $20,000, and they did it for us.”
Roodenburg also noted a $15,000 goodwill donation from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure as a measure of recourse for lost land and trees to expand the McKenzie interchange.
“This is all part of a five-year scheme to expand our playing and outdoor areas,” said principal Lois Bender. “We plan to add an outdoor classroom as well, and this year our garden plot provided enough lettuce [in one harvesting] to make salad for two classes.”
Marigold will celebrate the playground with a community Night to Play grand opening which will be held Thursday, June 15, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
reporter@saanichnews.com
