Photo courtesy of Laurel Lovell.
A rendering of the new Crestline Elementary Playground by Goodwyn Mills Cawood.
At the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, Crestline Elementary launched a large fundraising campaign to raise money for a new playground that will be inclusive to all children.
Harris McCloud, a parent at CES, said the check-writing campaign began on Aug. 4 and will continue until all $810,000 needed for the project is raised.
“Our current playground is over 12 years old and has seen better days,” she said.
“It was time for us to raise money not only to replace the playground and make one that is all inclusive for all children, not only at Crestline, but for children in the community.”
McCloud said the playground is used heavily during the school day, but after school kids come for birthday parties, to hang out after sporting events or parents go there on the weekends as they’re walking to breakfast or lunch spots.
“It’s just a community meeting place, so we really wanted to make a playground that served all those children, and I think we’ve accomplished that in our design,” she said.
Last fall, a meeting was held with Goodwyn Mills Cawood design firm, which was already working on several projects at the school. McCloud said she felt it was a seamless transition to use them.
“We worked with faculty and staff, community members and parents, to really come up with a plan that felt like it met the needs of typical children and children with special needs,” she said.
The new playground will be bigger than what is in the current space. It will feature multiple sets of swings, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, a rope climbing structure and a saucer swing, and the main structure has a slide and a sensory aspect to it that children of all abilities can use. Of the 767 students enrolled at Crestline, 98 have disabilities, so this will provide more opportunities for them to enjoy the area.
“The coolest part, I think, when looking at the playground is the green cord rubber on the floor and in the middle it has what looks like a blue river,” McCloud said. “There’s something for everyone and we worked really hard on that.”
We worked with faculty and staff, community members and parents, to really come up with a plan that felt like it met the needs of typical children and children with special needs.
Harris McCloud
All of the current playground equipment will be removed and replaced and new landscaping, trees and sod will be added.
The opportunity to donate is open to everyone, including businesses, McCloud said. At certain contribution levels, donors can receive yard signs or personalized bricks or plaques that will be placed on the playground.
“We’re really trying to encourage the Mountain Brook community to get behind this because it's not just a school playground, it is used by so many in our community,” she said.
The goal is to have the money raised by March 1, 2024, so the equipment can be installed and ready for the next school year.
For more information or to donate, visit crestlinecougarspto.com/playground.
