After four years of fundraising, St. Mary School will finally get its new playground this spring.
On Monday, Sept. 26 the St. Mary School Fundraising Society received the final piece of the $328,000 puzzle in the form of a $125,000 contribution from the province under the Community Facility Enhancement Program.
Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken was on hand to present the cheque and congratulated all who assisted to make the playground a reality.
“Any time we’re able to come into the community and help communities get projects to completion that they’ve been working on for many years, help them get over that hump, is very satisfying,” van Dijken said.
“Congratulations to all of the members of the community that have worked so hard for this day.”
Fundraising society chair Wendy Batog said construction on the park would begin in the spring, despite the fact the society is about $15,000 short.
“We have the missing piece finally filled. We’re short a little bit in regards to our goal, but I think it’s attainable in the next quarter,” Batog said.
“We’re just really happy to have finally met our goal and happy that Mr. van Dijken has supported us.”
The project began taking shape four years ago when the province announced it would begin phasing out wooden playground structures, meaning the St. Mary park was no longer in compliance.
Since then, the society was formed and has held various fundraisers, while significant contributions include $75,000 from the Town of Westlock through its external grants policy, and $50,000 from the Westlock Rotary Club.
Additional funds were received from many other local service clubs and businesses.
Batog also commended the students for their vital support.
“I think the biggest supporters were the kids who brought home their notes and my flyers and helped me,” Batog said.
“We had a lot of magazine drives, online drives, penny carnivals … without them as the communicator to home, we would have never had the parents come support us.”
St. Mary School principal Sheila Glebe expressed her gratitude to the society.
“I can hardly express how deeply grateful I am, first of all to Wendy Batog who really took charge of this fundraising and the ladies that have worked with her have been incredible,” Glebe said.
“It needed the drive of a very dedicated group of women in order for this to happen.”
Ultimately, Glebe noted that without the society, it would have meant no more park at the school.
“It’s an interesting thought. If we didn’t have people willing to fundraise, there would be no playgrounds because they’re not automatically funded,” she said.
“Children are meant to move and are meant to use imaginative play and they’re meant to have free time. Our playground gives them opportunity to get physical and develop their physical strength, but it also give them the opportunity for imaginative play … it is essential for the development of all children and that they have safe places to play.”
