A local business has donated $2,000 to replace eight swings, including one for infants and a swing with an accessible seat, for the Florence Rideout Elementary School.
“Refurbishing the FRES playground has been a topic for some time and the Parent Teacher Organization has been holding fundraisers to try to help with the costs,” FRES Principal Bob Laroche said. “While they focus on funds for a replacement slide, another local business stepped in and offered to pay for the cost of new swings.”
Currently, the FRES playground is missing two out of eight swings on its current set. MD’s Recycling and Waste, owned by Casey and Alexa Delage, has offered the funds to replace not only the missing swings, but the entire set – including making the swingset more accessible for everyone who uses the playground.
“I had noticed when I started at FRES in the summer of 2019 that we did not have swings for children who are smaller in stature, and we did not have swings for children that may need a supportive seat,” Laroche said. “We are going to fix that problem thanks to this generous donation and I can’t thank Alexa and the folks at MD’s enough for their kindness. The playground is not only used during recess but is also visited by the community after school hours and we are happy that they will now be able to enjoy the upgrades. It’s great to work in such a nice community with local businesses that care about children and families.”
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.