Chad Lundquist/Nevada Appeal Parents, teachers and administrators volunteered Sunday afternoon at Seeliger Elementary School to put in playground equipment that was purchased through donations and funding from the school district and Parent/Teacher Organization.
While the students of Seeliger Elementary School reveled in their last days of freedom, their parents and teachers were working to provide them a better place to play.
Over the course of two days, about 10 parents and officials from the school installed new, safer playground equipment in the kindergarten and first-/second-grade areas.
"We had old dilapidated equipment that wasn't up to code," said principal Lee Conley. "All of the fundraising for the new equipment was done by the Parent/Teacher Organization, private donations and the school district.
The equipment includes a new jungle gym with a slide in the kindergarten area and four new pieces of equipment - including a tarantula climber, bongo climber, teeter-totter and monkey bars - in the first- and second- grade area.
The school expects about 120 kindergartners and approximately 250 first- and second-graders this school year.
The total cost of the project was $33,000, not including labor, which was all done by volunteers including teachers, parents and grandparents.
"They need new equipment, and the district needs the help. The only way to get things done in the schools with the tight budgets is with volunteer help and effort," said Cynthia Gardner, whose son and daughter attend Seeliger. "It needs to be done for the kids."
The fundraising effort spearheaded by the PTO began last year. The effort received a $15,000 donation from a retired military man in Carson City, who will be honored at a ceremony after the work is completed. The PTO raised an additional $7,500, which was matched by the district.
The volunteers hope to have the kindergarten area - including a new border and wood chips for safety - completed before school starts and the remaining equipment in place within the first month.
Once that is complete, Conley said the fundraising effort will continue.
"We want to add more things for the upper grades, and we have a fund established to help with the equipment," Conley said.
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.