Giving the kids a new place to play
Volunteers build new playground at Dever
In just 12 hours, a group of community members turned a big patch of dirt into a place that children can play. Several dozen parents, teachers, staff members and construction experts volunteered their time last Saturday to build a new playground at the James A. Dever School in Valley Stream District 13.
It was certainly a long awaited event, as the construction was delayed twice because of rain. Principal Darren Gruen said the new playground will serve children ages 5 to 12. “We have a playground, it’s just not sufficient,” he said. “It’s not really for older kids.”
The new playground was funded through a $50,000 grant from Sen. Dean Skelos. Gruen said it was decided to have the community build it because the installation cost can be up to 50 percent of the equipment cost. “This way all of the money went specifically for the playground equipment,” Gruen said.
Last year, a team of administrators, parents, teachers and staff started planning for the new playground. Students were surveyed and a list was complied of all the components they wanted and sent to Landscape Structures. “They designed a playground based upon our wish list,” Gruen said. He added that the company has previously provided equipment for other schools in the district as well as a fitness center at Dever.
Karen Sarli, the school secretary, organized the community building process. She said letters were sent out seeking volunteers and she received a tremendous response.
After two postponements in October, the third time was the charm. “We kept looking at the weather forecast every day for the last two weeks,” she said.
Sarli noted that not only did people donate their time, but several local restaurants and supermarkets provided food for the volunteers. What was left over, she said, was given to a shelter in Roosevelt. Others donated use of construction equipment and tools, concrete and t-shirts. “This really was a community effort,” Sarli said.
Louanne Milone, who has a son in fourth-grade, helped out last Saturday. She said it was nice to see so many people come out and give their time. “I think it’s absolutely great,” she said. “It’s for the children.”
