Local Moms Raise $350k for Accessible Playground

On June 19, students, staff, families and community members gathered at Good Shepherd School for the grand opening of the school’s new playground.

The playground was an ambitious fundraising feat by a group of dedicated parents who banded together with a shared vision of bringing this important community resource to fruition.

Move Up asked Jessica Clarke, Friends of the Shepherd Society Board Member, about the $350,000 playground that children will be able to use for years to come.

What inspired the Friends of the Shepherd Society to take action?

In 2018, Parent School Council was advised that one of the school’s playgrounds was nearing the end of its life. We learned that school operating budgets cannot be used to build new playgrounds, so a few of us parents who were at that meeting decided to create a society dedicated to fundraising for a replacement playground.

We knew it would be a long journey, but we also knew our school community deserved a safe, modern place for kids to play.

Why was it important to band together to work toward this goal?

As a small group of moms, none of us could have taken on a project of this size on our own. Each of us brought different ideas, strengths and skills to the table, which helped shape our vision and keep the project moving forward.

There were definitely times when the finish line felt a long way off, but we supported one another through the challenges and celebrated every milestone together.

How was the group effort able to achieve this ambitious goal?

We raised a significant amount through smaller fundraisers and our school’s hot lunch program, but we were still a long way from the amount needed to build an accessible playground. As we began receiving grants, the project really started to gain momentum.

One of the biggest milestones came when we were awarded a $125,000 matching grant through the Government of Alberta’s Community Facility Enhancement Program.

This brought us within reach of our goal. We visited the school to ask students to talk to their families and help us find sponsors. With that call for support, our community responded in an incredible way. Within just a few short weeks, we had reached our fundraising goal.

One of the highlights of the entire project was returning to another school assembly to tell the students that we had done it. Seeing their excitement made all of the hard work worthwhile.

Do you have any memorable stories from your time working on the project?

We attended a school assembly to unveil the playground design, and as soon as one young student who uses a wheelchair saw the accessible features, he excitedly shouted, “Thank you!”

It was such a genuine moment, and it reminded us exactly why we had worked so hard to make the playground inclusive. Hearing those two words reassured us that taking the extra time to raise the additional funds was absolutely worth it.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

This playground is proof of what can happen when a community comes together behind a shared goal.

We are incredibly grateful to every sponsor, volunteer, grant provider, family, staff member and community member who supported us over the years. This project belongs to all of them as much as it belongs to us.

We hope this project inspires others to get involved in their communities. Big goals can seem overwhelming at first, but with strong community support, and a lot of perseverance, amazing things are possible.