McCullough Elementary wins contest for universally accessible playground
A dream was realized Friday in the Penn-Trafford School District and the result will be a playground worth as much as $300,000.
During an emotion-packed assembly yesterday at McCullough Elementary School, the announcement was made that the Penn Township school won the "PLAYSKOOL Win a Boundless Playground Essay Contest."
A Boundless Playground is designed to enable children of all abilities and disabilities to play together.
"McCullough's dream has come true," said Lorrie Browning, PLAYSKOOL's general manager, touching off an eruption of cheers and tears from the school's full multipurpose room.
Third-grade teacher Scott Mickey and parent Lisa Popovich collaborated on an essay that was one of 930 entries from 44 states and the District of Columbia.
"I am just so excited and happy for our community and for the Penn-Trafford School District," a choked-up Mickey said. "These kids are amazing kids. Our community has stepped up in so many different ways."
A video was submitted as McCullough made its case, as were letters and photos. Volunteers stood in wintry conditions in February to collect signatures on "A Thousand Thank You's Card."
PLAYSKOOL and GameTime will fund the playground, which will be on a section of land between McCullough Elementary School and Penn Middle School.
"You have something very special here," an emotional Popovich told the students. "Every child who comes through this school, for who's to say how long, will be playing at your playground, the playground that you built."
Competition judges said picking a winner was tough, but something about the submission of McCullough Elementary School stood out.
"We spent a lot of hours evaluating all the materials that were sent in," Browning said. "We just found the essay the team here put together and the follow-up material and the excitement the community demonstrated really put them in a position that we felt this was the right place to be building this playground."
Superintendent Dr. Deborah Kolonay said she was thrilled about the good fortune coming upon the district. "It is just incredible," she said. "After seeing what they actually sent as their entry, I couldn't possibly think that they weren't going to get it."
Boundless Playgrounds was founded in 1997 by Amy Jaffe Barzach, of Hartford, Conn. When her son, Jonathan, died in 1995 after contracting spinal muscular atrophy, Barzach focused on building a place in her son's honor where everyone could play.
"When I go to something like this and see these smiles on these children's faces. It's like Jonathan lives in all of these children," she said. "It's amazing. Life doesn't get any better than this."
Barzach said construction on the playground should begin soon and be finished by fall at the latest.
