Playground Projects

At 7:00 a.m. on build day, the enthusiasm in Oakland was overwhelming! On May 9, 2012, a group of 35 volunteers came together at Lake Crest Elementary to create a safe new space to play. The build day—originally scheduled for later in the year—was moved up so the community could ensure that local children could have a more playful summer.

The playground in Oakland, which had not been updated for 40 years and took two days to build, was truly a community effort. On the first day of the build, volunteers were separated into three groups.

A group of high school students, led by their Industrial Arts teacher, assembled the main playground equipment. Another group of volunteers put together a swing-set, while a third group cleaned the old playground area by painting hopscotch and four-square courts on the blacktop and repainting the basketball court.

The cafeteria staff got involved, too, providing breakfast for the event! A local church donated lunch, providing much needed energy for the hard-working volunteers.

On day two of the build, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade students spent part of their gym class spreading mulch on their new playground!

Fifth-grader Caleb Ard said he liked being part of the build.

“It makes me feel like I am a part of the playground,” said Caleb. “When I get older, I can bring my kids out and show them I helped build this.”