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The Little Falls City School District is one step closer to realizing its goal of constructing a new playground for students at Benton Hall Academy to enjoy.
Business manager Clete McLaughlin on Wednesday announced the district’s playground fund recently received a $10,000 donation from an unnamed donor, bringing the total to nearly $45,000.
“The donor does not yet want their name to be publicized, but on behalf of the Little Falls City School District, I want to acknowledge the receipt of this donation and thank the donor for their generous contribution to our playground fund,” said McLaughlin. “It certainly is appreciated.”
Benton Hall students have been without a playground since April 2011 after the one in Eastern Park was razed after a routine inspection. The inspection showed the playground’s structural integrity had deteriorated to the point that its continued use represented a serious safety concern.
Since then, school district officials have worked to raise money to construct a new playground for children in the same location in Eastern Park where the old playground once stood.
The district, at one time, had considered building a separate kindergarten playground as well, however, its focus is currently constructing the main playground for all students to use.
Estimates for the new playground are around $100,000. In June 2011, the district received a $10,000 donation from the Benton Hall Parent - Teacher Council and a $600 donation from the Little Falls High School senior class. In November 2011, M&T Bank made a $20,000 donation to the fund.
“With this most recent donation we have raised about 50 percent of what is needed,” said McLaughlin, adding the district will soon begin its “grassroots” fundraising efforts.
The plan for those efforts, he said, will be outlined to the board of education in the near future.
“A number of fundraisers have been discussed and are in the pipeline,” McLaughlin said Wednesday. “We hope the community will recognize this as a worthwhile cause and will show their support.”
Tentative plans for the new playground are on display at Benton Hall Academy and include the addition of twist slides, monkey bars, crawl spaces, climbing walls and swings.
Anyone interested in contributing to the new playground can send checks payable to the “Little Falls City School District Playground Fund” to 15 Petrie St., Little Falls, NY 13365.
In other business Wednesday evening, the board of education accepted a $1,000 donation from Robert V. Madden for the district’s Samuel W. Madden Fund.
The Little Falls City School District is one step closer to realizing its goal of constructing a new playground for students at Benton Hall Academy to enjoy.
Business manager Clete McLaughlin on Wednesday announced the district’s playground fund recently received a $10,000 donation from an unnamed donor, bringing the total to nearly $45,000.
“The donor does not yet want their name to be publicized, but on behalf of the Little Falls City School District, I want to acknowledge the receipt of this donation and thank the donor for their generous contribution to our playground fund,” said McLaughlin. “It certainly is appreciated.”
Benton Hall students have been without a playground since April 2011 after the one in Eastern Park was razed after a routine inspection. The inspection showed the playground’s structural integrity had deteriorated to the point that its continued use represented a serious safety concern.
Since then, school district officials have worked to raise money to construct a new playground for children in the same location in Eastern Park where the old playground once stood.
The district, at one time, had considered building a separate kindergarten playground as well, however, its focus is currently constructing the main playground for all students to use.
Estimates for the new playground are around $100,000. In June 2011, the district received a $10,000 donation from the Benton Hall Parent - Teacher Council and a $600 donation from the Little Falls High School senior class. In November 2011, M&T Bank made a $20,000 donation to the fund.
“With this most recent donation we have raised about 50 percent of what is needed,” said McLaughlin, adding the district will soon begin its “grassroots” fundraising efforts.
The plan for those efforts, he said, will be outlined to the board of education in the near future.
“A number of fundraisers have been discussed and are in the pipeline,” McLaughlin said Wednesday. “We hope the community will recognize this as a worthwhile cause and will show their support.”
Tentative plans for the new playground are on display at Benton Hall Academy and include the addition of twist slides, monkey bars, crawl spaces, climbing walls and swings.
Anyone interested in contributing to the new playground can send checks payable to the “Little Falls City School District Playground Fund” to 15 Petrie St., Little Falls, NY 13365.
In other business Wednesday evening, the board of education accepted a $1,000 donation from Robert V. Madden for the district’s Samuel W. Madden Fund.
