Halmstad PTO swings for new playground

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By ELIZABETH HOCHSTEDLER
elizabeth.hochstedler@lee.net
Thursday, December 11, 2008 10:05 AM CST

Everyday at recess time, Halmstad Elementary School students scurry to the playground. They jump onto swings, slip down the slides and whip across the monkey bars.

But some of the equipment which they are using is outdated, parents say.

“I went to that school, and I’m 42 years old,” said Carmen Heidaragha, vice president of the Halmstad PTO. “Most of that equipment there was from when I went there.”

The Halmstad PTO has been working to rebuild the playground for three years. The group runs several fundraisers throughout each school year in hopes of raising the $50,000 that will be needed to overhaul most of the playground.

The parents organization decided the revamp was needed as most of the equipment is old and made of wood, which creates problems with splinters for some children. They believe newer equipment will also provide more safety and different options for the children.

“We just decided we needed new equipment there,” Heidaragha said.

The district wasn’t going to fund the new pieces, so the PTO took the project on itself. Members had to research where to buy the equipment, what to buy and how much it would cost.

“Playground equipment is very expensive. We didn’t realize that until we got into it,” Heidaragha said.

The group contacted Lee Recreation in Cambridge, and created a plan of what the future playground should look like.

Some of the efforts paid off this fall when the PTO purchased two new pieces of equipment which were then installed.

Heidaragha said the children at the school were thrilled.

“It was so nice because the kids just flocked over there. The kids had to stand in line to take turns on it,” she said.

Although the district didn’t help with the purchase of the equipment, it did send workers over to clear out old pieces and prepare the area for the new ones.

“That’s pretty good that it’s a group effort to get this for the kids,” Heidaragha said.

The PTO has decided to install the pieces as they are purchased to create enthusiasm for the project, but each purchase means the group has to restart fundraising for the next piece.

“This past summer $10,000 was raised, and we purchased two pieces of equipment, and that just kind of wiped (the fund) out,” Heidaragha said.

However, the fundraising continues. On Nov. 29, the school had an expo to raise more money for the playground and other efforts continue, such as selling butter braids and Halmstad nights at Culver’s in Lake Hallie.

The PTO is committed to continuing the project until the playground renovations are completed, but Heidaragha has a personal stake in finishing the project. Her son is in fourth grade, so she will no longer be in the PTO after next school year.

“It’s a personal thing for me that I want to get it done while I’m still here,” she said.

The goal is to have all the new equipment in by next summer if enough money is received.

“We’re kind of hoping if we could get some nice sized donations that we could get it done sooner rather than later,” Heidaragha said.

The PTO sees the project as something for the entire community to enjoy, rather than just for the students at the school.

“The one thing that we talked about is it’s not just Halmstad students that use the equipment,” she added. “I think it will benefit the neighborhood too.”