Anonymous donor offers $70,000 match for Ashton Elementary playground
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ASHTON —- Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor offering to match up to $70,000 in community contributions, Ashton Elementary School could soon have the funding needed to complete its long-awaited new playground.
The offer could bring an end to years of fundraising by the school’s Parent Teacher Partnership (PTP), which has been working to replace playground equipment that is more than 20 years old.
Over time, the equipment has become increasingly worn and difficult to maintain, with peeling surfaces, rust, cracked plastic and broken components raising safety concerns. Some pieces, including a twisty slide, have already been removed, while deteriorating plastic coverings have created pinching hazards flagged during safety inspections.
According to PTP President Morgin Lenz, the community has raised $42,032.45 over the past two years through donations and fundraising events, including penny wars, flea markets, fun runs and the school’s annual fall carnival.
RELATED: Ashton Elementary hosts fall carnival to raise funds for new playground equipment
This year’s carnival, held around potato harvest, brought in $11,000. The event featured carnival games, inflatables, a petting zoo, a rock-climbing wall, a barrel train, vendors and a raffle, all made possible through community sponsorships.
Some of the money raised has already gone toward improving the existing playground.
“We’ve spent some of that money on a playground refresh so the kids and the community can see that we’re serious about this,” Lenz said.
During the first weekend in May, PTP members and community volunteers expanded both playground areas for younger and older students. Improvements included new gravel, wooden barriers, grass, painted game lines, a giant geodome, two teeter-totters and a funnel ball game. Basketball hoops and backboards were also repainted.
The school district contributed additional improvements over the summer, including new drainage, concrete curbing and pavement in previously unpaved areas.
What’s next
Now, the PTP is focused on completing the remaining phase of the project, which includes purchasing and installing two new jungle gym sets, one for younger students and another for older children. The larger set will feature a zip line.
Plans also include replacing swing seats and chains, with hopes of adding an accessible swing set.
Under the matching agreement, the anonymous donor will contribute one dollar for every dollar raised, up to $70,000. If the PTP reaches that goal, the combined contributions will total $140,000.
Lenz said rising freight costs have made reaching the full matching amount especially important.
“Freight has gone up since our initial quote, so we’re really needing to push and get the full $70,000 match and be done fundraising,” she said.
But there’s a deadline. The PTP must raise the money by the end of the current school year to take full advantage of the offer.
The PTP encourages businesses and individuals to consider contributing as they plan their charitable giving toward the end of the current fiscal year and the beginning of the next.
“Every contribution will have twice the impact. A $10 donation becomes $20 with the match, while a $1,000 business sponsorship generates $2,000 toward the project,” Lenz said.
Those unable to contribute financially can help by spreading the word, connecting organizers with potential sponsors or participating in upcoming fundraisers.
After two years of community support and improvements, the PTP hopes the anonymous donor’s offer will provide the final push needed to complete the playground.
Those interested in donating can click the donation link here.