Class offers support to new school’s playground fund
Kids at Bridger Elementary will have a swinging good time when school starts in August, with a little help from a Utah State University Management and Human Resources 3110 class project.
The state budgeted to build a playground at Bridger Elementary, a school currently under construction in west Logan.
“The state budget is $15,000, which pretty much just gives them a slide and swing set. We thought they deserved more,” said Joe Petersen, a senior in horticulture who is taking MHR 3110.
Petersen and his group decided to try to raise $30,000 as part of a class assignment so the children could have a nicer playground. Petersen lives three blocks from the school and has two children who will be old enough to attend it in a few years.
The group has already collected around $3,000. They received $1,000 each from Wal-mart and Sam’s Club and earned about $400 from selling Pampered Chef items.
They also set up a donation table in the Taggart Student Center Friday and collected $30, while 94.5 VFX donated free advertising spots.
Group member Rachael Partridge, a junior in dietetics, said the group is working to get donations from other businesses.
“Our goal was $30,000 and we’re far from it, so we need all the help we can get,” Partridge said. “We really want this to be successful. We hope it will be.”
Petersen said the group was currently lobbying to get a large grant of up to $10,000 from Weathershield. Other service groups are vying for the grant, but Petersen said he has high hopes his group will win out.
“We’re more of a community thing and we have the majority of the support,” he said.
The playground the group would like to see the elementary students get will cost $30,000, and although the state can provide half of it, Petersen said he would like to raise the full amount so the state funds can go toward something else for the school.
“We’re shooting high,” Petersen said.
He said the city is building softball and soccer fields near the school, and the playground will be opened to the community after school hours.
Partridge said the class project is intended to teach leadership and management skills.
“The objective is to learn to manage certain groups of people,” Partridge said. “We even manage each other.”
The other group members are Jafus Palmer, Nick Peterson, Colton Parry, Elise Petroff, Preston Peterson, Steven Peterson and Julie Pattersen. They plan on giving the money to the school in May.
A donation booth will be set up in North Logan’s Wal-mart Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Anyone interested in making a donation or helping with the project in any way can contact Joe Petersen at 232-2743 or e-mail kidsplayground@hotmail.com.
-heidithue@cc.usu.edu