For many students, the best part of the school day is recess, but those at Pleasantdale School are looking forward to making recess even better.
The school's playground equipment is aging to the point of retirement, so the school is preparing for an upgrade with a series of fundraisers coming this spring. Fundraising campaign organizers have been collecting donations internally since the start of the school year and have now begun canvassing the rest of the community.
At Hard Knocks 31, jiu-jitsu students Jesse Toombs and Chaise Alexander put on a grappling clinic at the centre of the ring during their Fighting for Funds fundraiser. The two local boys received cheers from the crowd as well as $3,237 toward their total.
The school is aiming to raise $95,000 to cover the full cost of the new playground and so far has raised $33,676.
On March 22, the school will host a spaghetti supper. Families and individuals can come and go as they please during the evening that begins at 5 p.m. The supper will include chick poop, but organizers said everyone has to come to the supper in order to find exactly what that is.
Campaign organizer Kim Toombs said they have a company set up to complete all the work as soon as the funds are generated.
Michelle Smart, principal, said the current play structure, which is more than 20 years old, is likely to come down at the end of the school year.
"Ideally, if we have the funds in place, the structure should come out this spring, and it should be installed this summer," said Smart.
The Grade 12 construction class at the Estevan Comprehensive School designed a wishing well for the school's fundraising campaign. It is set up by the entrance to the Brick inside the Estevan Shoppers Mall. The Brick will match all contributions to the wishing well.
The school has further fundraisers planned in April. They are asking everyone to start saving their bottles and cans until April 13, when they will be out for a mass pickup. Later in the spring, the school will also be hosting a barbecue and a car wash. Dates have not yet to been set for those events.
