By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles & Lara Fominoff - @fomsy1 on Twitter

Ag entrepreneur closes funding gap to build local playground

Jun 27, 2017 | 2:30 PM

LETHBRIDGE – A donation from a local agricultural entrepreneur has pushed fundraising efforts over the top for a new playground at Ecole Agnes Davidson Elementary School.

Cor Van Raay decided to donate the remainder of what was needed, after learning that the school was $50,000 short of the $620,000 goal to build Dragon Park.

“We can’t thank Mr. Van Raay enough for his generous donation,” said Agnes Davidson principal, Broc Higginson, in a media release. “He really wanted to do this for the kids here at the school, and our students will greatly benefit from the new equipment for years to come, thanks in part to this donation.”

The school announced on May 30 that they had received a $250,000 Community Facility Enhancement grant – bringing them within striking distance of their goal – and news of the successful grant application got Van Raay’s attention.

With a majority of the funds now in place to move forward on the new playground, construction can begin this summer. It will replace the current wooden playground with a dragon themed structure, which will include a rubberized surface.

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At the May 30 announcement, it was also noted that progress on the new playground at Agnes Davidson is good news for another southern Alberta community, according to Michael Boh, volunteer project manager for the initiative.

“We were connected up with the Children’s Wish Foundation, and they have a little girl from the colony in Lundbreck, and they were looking to try and get a playground for her and her community to help her socialize and enjoy and play out there. But they’re realizing how expensive playgrounds are.”

The foundation has agreed to take the old playground and re-furbish it, making it stronger and safer for the colony to use.

Anyone still wishing to donate towards the project through in-kind donations, can contact the school at 403-328-5153 or broc.higginson@lethsd.ab.ca.