Community Corner

Store's Helpers Restore Preschool's Playground

After years of use, and changes in designs, the playground at The Preschool Place and Kindergarten needed an upgrade.

After years of jumping feet and clutching little fists, the playground equipment at The Preschool Place and Kindergarten has gotten more than a bit worn in. The sand box needed sand, and the climbing toys just didn't seem as inviting.

And changing rules and requirements for the safety of children meant some of the equipment had to go.
 
So Preschool Director Carol Rubnitz turned to the Bridgewater Home Depot store for a bit of help—and got it by the truckload.

Starting Wednesday, crews of volunteers from the store on Route 202 will be spending parts of their days off work at the school, building flower boxes, rebuilding the sandbox and more. Loren Suplee, a Home Depot supervisor who helped coordinate the project, said the store also donated three pallets of sand, bags of planting soil, flowers and lumber to build or rebuild several new play areas for the school's students, who are between two and six years of age.

The work was moving quickly—thanks not only to the eight Home Depot volunteers, but also some dads of the students at the school, including Kevin Young and Brian Francz. In fact, Suplee said the work may be completed Wednesday, despite plans for nine Home Depot volunteers to come help Thursday.

The work may have moved quickly because of the practice the store's crews are getting at such volunteer projects: Store Manager Jeff Pemberton said volunteers from his store have done about 10 such projects this year, including work at the Newton VFW Hall, the Center for Contemporary Art, the Midland School and Whiton Road School and more. They've also participated in regional projects, such as big Toys for Tots project at the Picatinny Arsenal that Suplee said was "pretty cool."

The volunteers are recruited by Home Depot HR Supervisor Justine Faerber, who noted about 20-30 store employees help out with the projects, although many others participate when they can.

The work will be dedicated Friday morning, with a 10:30 a.m. event featuring the school's students adding a handful of sand to the rebuilt sand box.

Then, the students will be able to move on to enjoy some of the other new activities on the playground—including a water table (three sinks in a row), a sand table, and practice planting in the new garden bed.

It's all part of Rubnitz' plan to make-over the playground to not only include new equipment, but to include areas for new activities. 

"We're creating an outdoor classroom," she said. 

Once completed after a planned $35,000 fundraising project to replace the now-obsolete playground equipment, the area will have areas for music enjoyment and lessons, as well as reading, outdoors.

"They brought a lot of supplies," Rubnitz said. "And they're going to be bringing a lot of joy to the kids."


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