Parents of an elementary school in Chilliwack are hoping a Canada-wide contest will help them raise enough funds to build an accessible playground so children of all physical abilities can play.
The number of students at Evans Elementary School has steadily grown over the years, and the small playground can’t accommodate all the kids, especially ones with special needs, according to parent Katrina Eng.
“To see children in wheelchairs who cannot even access the playground to play with any of the other kids, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.
Of the 308 students at the school, 16 have special needs and four are mobility impaired.
Eng said there is no room in the small, outdated playground for all the kids in the school.
“We have some old tires that they play on,” she said.
Parents have raised more than $16,000, including $7,000 from the City of Chilliwack, to build a new playground, which will cost nearly $100,000.
PHOTO: A rendering of the new accessible playground
Eng said they’ve held bake sales, lunches and other events to raise money, but felt that bombarding parents with so many fundraisers was overwhelming them.
“We can’t ask the kids to pay for the playground,” she said. “so that’s why we’re entering a contest.”
Aviva Insurance gives away a million dollars awarded through multiple prizes every year to projects that have a positive impact on local communities.
Groups submit their idea and voters choose their favourite projects online.
“Every child has the right to play. Physical play is vital to a child’s growth and development and also plays a large part in how they do academically. Your vote will be helping to provide a safe, fun, and challenging place for kids of all abilities to play together,” the Evans Elementary School entry states.
Parents are also using social media to spread the word and encourage people to vote for their project.
“We need all the votes we can get,” she said.
Help Evans Elementary School get their new playground – vote here.
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