Gifts means new play equipment at Winterhaven School

The Bee, Nov 4, 2009

Matt Ferris-Smith

Glynda Brockhoff, philanthrophy coordinator with Fred Meyer, stands with Winterhaven School students (from left): Sophia Hounton, Ronan McCann, Ander Ehnes, Ethan Hill, and Leo Steiner – with the $16,000 check from Fred Meyer upon which the ceremony centered. The playstructure to be installed with the money is shown on the bulletin board behind the students.

With just one small playground structure serving 400-plus students, the kids at Winterhaven K-8 School have had to make their own fun during recess — some of them simply play in the dirt.

But, after a year of fundraising, parents at Winterhaven School have successfully raised enough money to purchase and install an elaborate new play structure at Brooklyn School Park, an official Portland City Park located adjacent to Winterhaven, and open to the community.

The final piece of the funding puzzle fell into place Friday, October 23rd, when a Fred Meyer representative delivered a $16,000 check to the school — enough to meet the goal of raising $33,000 to accomplish the project. Fred Meyer corporate headquarters are located on S.E. 26th in the Brooklyn neighborhood, just south of Cleveland High.

Other sources of funding for the play equipment included Portland Public Schools, the City of Portland, the Winterhaven PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association), and the Brooklyn Action Corps neighborhood association.

In addition, the manufacturer of the equipment, Sitelines Park and Playground, cut the price from $34,000 to $28,000 as their own donation to the cause.

With the funding now in place, the organizers now expect the new equipment to be installed in December, and be ready for use in January.

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