Playground project looks promising in New Sweden

By Theron Larkins
Staff Writer
NEW SWEDEN, Maine — As former students, most can reflect back and reminisce upon countless memories from those early years of education. The one thing those memories have in common is, of course, the playground. In New Sweden, the town and its school are getting involved by trying to raise enough money to afford a new playground.    In the hope of providing students the opportunity to make the happiest and safest memories possible, parents, school staff and volunteers are currently working alongside the school’s playground and advisory committees to undertake a series of fund-raising events to purchase a brand new playground for children in the community.
“At the beginning of the year I spoke to Principal Spooner about my interest in helping with raising the funds to build a new playground since the existing one is pretty outdated,” said playground committee member Jessica Wilson.
Wilson admits she had some extra inspiration and a little help when explaining what ultimately made her decide to spearhead the playground project.
“I have to say that I was very inspired by Woodland’s playground, which is only a few years old. They also raised funds to create something similar on their grounds,” she said. “During the summer we started bringing our children there and it propelled me to want to help to make this happen for kids in New Sweden.”
Despite admittedly having very little prior experience planning projects of this magnitude, Wilson has been instrumental in both the vision it took to set the project in motion and the fundraising necessary to turn that vision into something real. She is only one community member doing more than her share to make the playground a reality. However, she has been at the forefront of the project and continues to offer her skills and knowledge after initiating the process.
“I took a grant writing class during graduate school and have always wanted to help create something with those skills, so I offered to write a grant and to help with organizing the process,” she said. “It’s actually the first time I’ve been this involved in this sort of thing.”
With the leadership and guidance from members of both committees and the vital help provided by a number of involved parents, the community has selflessly rallied together to create a safe and enjoyable place for children to play. Wilson and her fellow committee members are not only dedicated to bettering their own children’s lives, but all those children who will be able to share the playground, including any nearby visitors from fellow Union 122 schools.
“I know that the process was started a year or two ago, but never came to fruition, for whatever reason,” said Wilson. “Ever since my youngest child started attending I’ve been impressed by the beauty of the school and the variety of activities available within such a small academic environment. I feel the children need a playground to match the quality of the school.”
Whether it’s volunteers attending fund-raising events or hosting them, they have displayed a dedicated effort that Wilson considers worthy of praise.
“This is definitely a joint effort between committed parents and teaching staff, many of whom also have children attending the school, who will benefit,” said Wilson. “We have a lot of people interested in making this happen and have had much support from community members willing to donate time and know-how to actually install the set and handle the necessary landscaping.”
According to Wilson there has been no trouble getting the community emotionally invested in the potential playground and as for financially, Wilson is confident there will be no letdown. Wilson and the playground committee, along with help from all four corners of the community, have already successfully held fund-raising events to fund the upgrade
The New Sweden School served a Swedish-themed dinner prior to their annual St. Lucia Celebration. Donations were accepted at the dinner, which was co-sponsored by the Caribou Masonic Lodge. The Lodge matched the fundraiser’s earnings by donating $500, while the New Sweden Homemakers Extension also made a generous donation of $500. Committee member Jennifer Holmes, the school’s music teacher and parent of two children attending the school, was able to submit and secure a $5,000 grant from Lowe’s, the store where the committee also plans to purchase the play set.
“Russell Currier donated an autographed U.S. Biathlon jacket, a signed bib and a knit hat that we will be raffle off,” said Wilson. “Tickets for the raffle are available at the school, as well as Frontier Pharmacy, in Caribou. The winning ticket will be drawn at the annual Sno Carnival held at the school in March.”
Wilson and the committee’s list didn’t stop there; as she went on to explain details of an upcoming event that will be sprawled across the entirety of town.
“We’ll be involved in the city-wide yard sale in May. Pioneer Pharmacy has offered to allow us to set up tables there. The owners, Joe and Nicole Solomon, have children who attend in New Sweden and Nicole is on our advisory committee,” she said. “We have been considering other ideas, too. We will keep working for as long as it takes to raise the necessary funds to make this a reality.”
The playset the school is hoping to purchase will cost approximately $12,000. This figure, however, does not include any landscaping that may need to be done. The playground committee has currently set their goal at $24,000, which Wilson mentions should cover the building of the playground, as well as the lighting.
With no shortage of ideas and the wholehearted support of the community there’s nothing Wilson believes will slow down the playground’s progress.
“I don’t foresee any problems with regard to raising funds. We are well on the way to our goal. So far, we’ve raised about $6,600,” said Wilson. “The community has really begun to get behind the project and many have expressed interest in helping with the building process. The Lowe’s grant gave us a great boost, too. The committee is also hoping to secure another grant to help with the purchase of the set and the landscaping.”
When asked what more there is to tell about the playground project Wilson urged anyone with a desire to get involved or simply learn more to visit the “New Sweden School Playground Project” Facebook page.
“It’s where we share ideas and do much of our planning. Everyone is welcome to join to share ideas and help out,” she said.
Additional information regarding New Sweden’s playground project is also avalaible from Principal Laurie Spooner at (207) 896-5541.