Local school kids have collected a small fortune in small change to help pay for a new playground. A student coin drive at Mountain View Whisman and Los Altos school districts has raised more than $40,000 that will go toward a Magical Bridge playground at Rengstorff Park.
The Magical Bridge playground, slated to be completed in 2020, has generated a lot of excitement because it would be Mountain View's first play structure specifically designed for children with physical and cognitive disabilities. The first such playground opened at Palo Alto's Mitchell Park in 2015, and other nearby cities are looking to build their own.
The playground is expected to cost about $4.5 million to design and build, about half of which is being paid for by the city and county. The remainder is expected to come through fundraising, so local organizers have been trying different strategies to pass around the hat.
The student-led coin drive is one among many efforts to help reach this fundraising goal. Several local tech companies have already made substantial donations. But getting the kids involved in the fundraising process gets them excited about this future playground, said Deborah Getz, a Magical Bridge spokeswoman and Bubb Elementary School parent.
"The coin drive is important because it empowers our kids to personally make an impact," she said. "It's such a tangible goal that they are working towards because they can understand it -- they know that everyone should have a chance to play."
In late May Mountain View Whisman district officials delivered several bags filled with pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to the playground nonprofit. The total haul was $25,000, but organizer said some of that was made through online donations.
The Los Altos School District wrapped up its own coin drive last week, raising $15,000.
More information about the Magicial Bridge Playground and the fundraiser may be found on its website.
Comments
Castro City
on Jun 21, 2018 at 1:18 pm
on Jun 21, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Congratulations to the kids. May I suggest you not let the MVWSD handle your donations funds. Seems they need a refresher course on bookkeeping
Registered user
Sylvan Park
on Jun 21, 2018 at 9:49 pm
Registered user
on Jun 21, 2018 at 9:49 pm
True about MV-WHISMAN. But don't leave the money in the hands of the Los Altos School District either. The LASD would never decide how to spend it. Any any promise made to the kids was just, well, KIDDING AROUND.
Sylvan Park
on Jun 23, 2018 at 7:41 am
on Jun 23, 2018 at 7:41 am
This article was very cool to share with my daughter, who enthusiastically emptied out her piggy bank for the school’s coin drive. It’s a great opportunity for her to see that her small contribution became something larger and tangible, and she was very excited to hear the results.
Rengstorff Park
on Jun 24, 2018 at 7:59 pm
on Jun 24, 2018 at 7:59 pm
Why do we need a "Magical Bridge playground" at Rengstorff park when there is one literally 2 miles away at Mitchell Park, soon to be one in Sunnyvale too? Children with "physical and cognitive disabilities" play fine at the existing structures at Rengstorff Park, there is no need to tear down unique play features (like the cardboard box slide area) in order to build a cookie-cutter playground just like two others in the area.
If you really want to improve Rengstorff Park, start by finding a new place for the RVs dumping sewage literally steps from where children are playing. A pedestrian / bike overpass / underpass across Central Expy. would also go far.
Registered user
Monta Loma
on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:25 am
Registered user
on Jun 25, 2018 at 11:25 am
Because being able to walk to a really nice park is way nicer than having to drive to a heavily crowded one?
The same crowd who crows about traffic 24/7 are the same ones who don't want to build nicer facilities so people can... avoid driving and reduce traffic. Good job all around everyone.