The Jefferson School PTA has successfully raised $112,000 for new playground equipment.
Acting Superintendent of Schools for South Orange-Maplewood School District Jim Memoli announced at the Monday, June 15 Board of Education meeting that, as a result of hundreds of hours of parent and community efforts, Jefferson will have a “new, safer, developmentally appropriate” playground.
The new playground will “be unveiled in fall,” said Memoli. “We are looking forward to it.”
The PTA, through the Jefferson Playground Project, launched the fundraising campaign last September. The effort included a Facebook page, GoFundMe page, a series of creative, clever videos (see “Are We There Yet?” here or below) and the “Pennies to Play” coin collection campaign.
The original goal was to raise $100,000.
However, Jen Klepesch, Sara Knutsen, Mary Ellen Dawkins and Joanna Klein of the Jefferson Playground Project team reported that while the PTA “gifted $105,000 to the district on Monday, our actual total is going to land closer to $112,000.00. We are reserving that $7,000.00 for ancillary costs which we are still finalizing, but all funds collected by the Jefferson Playground Project will be used to enhance the playground area.” They added that the project reached its goal a full year ahead of schedule.
