Volunteers update school playground

Photo by: William D. Lewis

Photo

Lowe's Boardman store employees David Adkins, left, and Derrick Poppelriter volunteer to help refurbish a playground at Dobbins School in Poland.

By RICK ROUAN

POLAND — With a new frame installed earlier this week, the three-year-old mental picture of an updated playground at Dobbins Elementary School is becoming a reality.

Parents of Dobbins students and volunteers from Lowe’s, the store that gave more than $1,200 in supplies and cash donations to put this phase of the project over the edge, converged on the playground to replace 20-year-old railroad ties with clean wood, spread mulch and help install an eco-friendly rubber surface.

“In these economic times, what really makes this project special is how the whole community helped us out,” said Cheryl Borovitcky, the school’s principal. “This has been like three years in the making.”

The project will cost about $40,000, Borovitcky said, but the downturned economy has made fundraising difficult. So far, the school has raised about $24,000 in grants and donations from places such as Lowe’s, National City Bank of Poland and Tony Lariccia, vice president of Merril Lynch in Canfield, among others.

“We know things don’t happen just like that,” said Borovitcky, snapping her fingers.

The latest donation from Lowe’s comes from a $1,200 annual budget that every store gets to help with such projects, said Brian Heckert, store manager for Lowe’s, 1100 Doral Drive.

“I like to get involved in communities and do something that means something,” said Heckert, who used his Lowe’s Heroes Program fund last year to do landscaping work at East High School.

Dobbins will continue fundraising in the fall as it works to complete the project, Borovitcky said. The school’s Parent-Teacher Organization will organize its annual mum and corn-stalk sale, along with some other fundraisers to help finance the rest of the rubber surface on the playground.

So far, the project contractor, Meyer Design, has installed the new frame, a swing set and part of the rubber surface, Borovitcky said, adding that she’s been grateful to the company for working with her for three years.

“If you look at the community aspect of the project ... that’s the beauty of it,” she said. “Little things that are an investment, that makes this more than a playground.”

rrouan@vindy.com