Students raise $17,000 for ‘Project Playground’ at Alturas
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IDAHO FALLS — A fundraising campaign for a local school to get a new playground has finally paid off with the help of students and parents raising money.
Alturas International Academy Charter School in Idaho Falls held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday for the new playground.
“The cost of this playground was the hard work of Alturas students and their families. Without the fundraising efforts of the students and the families, this playground would have not come to be,” PTO President Seleta Talbot said.
Talbot said they needed to expand their playground due to the addition of 192 new kindergarten through 5th grade students. The “Project Playground” campaign helped raise money by students participating in a Read-a-Thon and gathering sponsors to donate to their reading goals. Students continued to get more sponsors for a jump-a-thon, held a silent auction for their artwork, and had a penny wars competition. A penny war is a fundraising competition where two or more groups collect coins and bills in an effort to score points based on the amount collected.
The students raised $17,000. In addition, Bingham Memorial Hospital donated money for the playground, and funds from the PTO were also used.
Once the ribbon was cut, students swarmed in excitement to play on the new playground.
“This will be a legacy for generations and generations to come. I am so grateful I can be a part of this Alturas community,” Talbot said.