Published: April 02, 2007 11:58 am      

Playground On Its Way

Parkside committee chairman building more than a playground

LAVALE - Playgrounds are more than monkey bars and swings to John Holt of LaVale. As chairman of the Parkside Elementary School playground committee, Holt has traveled to Chicago and New Orleans to attend playground conferences.

"The goal is to build a playground, but more than that, it is to build a community," said Holt.

Conference attendees learn how to involve community volunteers in playground projects, said Holt. The University of Play workshops are offered by Kaboom, a national nonprofit organization that provides need-based funding for playground projects, educates planners and provides playground resources. Home Depot is a co-sponsor of the conference.

"John has assumed a leadership role in our school community regarding the fundraising efforts of our playground - he attends playground meetings and shares ideas from around the country," said Parkside Principal Patti Stevenson. "John likes the idea of community ownership of the playground - he is working as a member of our school's National Network of Partnership Schools Committee to plan a school community barbecue after the new equipment is installed."

The playground committee recently reached its fundraising goal, and the project is scheduled for completion this summer, said Holt, father of a Parkside second-grader.

The "intergenerational" plaground will feature a walking track, a play area for prekindergarten through first-grade students and a larger play area for second- through fifth-grade students.

"Working in collaboration with our PTA executive board, John united our parents, staff and local businesses in raising over $25,000 in new and innovative ways," said Stevenson. "He is a very humble man who is enthusiastic about the concept of children enjoying childhood - that enthusiasm results in hours of service to our community."

Jennifer Raley can be reached at jraley@times-news.com.