Students at Franklin’s Moore Elementary were welcomed back to school last week with a ribbon cutting for the $57, 818 playground which was pulled together through community donations.
The need for a new playground was realized after officials from the Franklin Special School District inspected Moore’s previous playground in August of 2014. They found a large infestation of wasps and a concerning amount of rot in the old wooden equipment. The wooden playground was removed after the inspection.
The Parent-Teacher Organization, led by Misty Woodford, got to work on a new playground that they could greet the students of Moore Elementary with after the holiday break. They devised a play to raise a lot of money in a short amount of time, and in just 15 weeks the PTO and students had raised almost $35,000 just through fundraising. They held Spirit Nights at a number of restaurants including Culver’s and Papa John’s, as well as a student fundraiser dubbed “Pennies for the Playground” which was a change collection contest among grade levels.
The Franklin Special School District also contributed over $15,000 and community business partners also made sizable contributions. Some contributors were JPW&C Realty, Parkway Commons DDS, Maui Wowi Hawaiian, Let It Shine, Kemp Orthodontics, Wells Fargo, Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin, Creekwood Academy, Dental Specialists, American Paper & Twine, Allied Health Careers, Ashlee Anderson – Thirty-One, Brentwood Pediatric Dentistry, Cool Water Orthodontics, Franklin Kitchen Center, FTC Insurance, Green Pixie Baby, Lee Company, Marti Loftis State Farm, Pediatric Associates of Franklin, Benchmark Nashville Bar & Grill, Growing Spells, Greenspace Design, La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant.
“What a great project for the kids at Moore Elementary and the neighborhood,” said Mayor of Franklin Ken Moore. “This is such a great example of what makes our schools great: parents and community involvement. It is hard to believe that this determined group of parents raised the money in three months to cover the costs of the project. I congratulate their efforts.”
A ribbon cutting commemorating the opening of the new playground was hosted on January 9, 2015.Students, teachers, staff, parents, FSSD Board of Directors, Mayor Moore and donors supporting the effort were all in attendance.
“The equipment was purchased from Miracle Recreation of KY and TN,” said Woodford. “The equipment features 4 spinning seats; a Maypole which is a vertical merry-go-round; a fitness cluster for climbing, flipping, and upper body strength; 3 8’ slides; a rock climbing wall; a jax web cargo net climber; and a Reflex 20 person see-saw.”
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