We brought PLAY Back!
In the last Ambassador Newsletter, we asked you to Help us bring back PLAY! As we enter September, we embarked on a few major initiatives as we BRING BACK PLAY!
Our hands on service project that will help support our after school program CORE Kids and create an outdoor space at Cathy Wever School was a huge success. Some time ago, we helped build an outdoor classroom area at Cathy Wever School. It has been well used especially during the pandemic. The space doubles as an outdoor Club House area for our CORE Kids After School program. We have been approved for a matching $2000 US grant from District 7090 to revitalize the area. We utilized the $4000 US budget to revitalize the space.
Thanks to a number of dedicated Rotarians and Friends of Rotary who got their hands dirty spreading mulch, weeding and cleaning up the site: Larry Paikin, John Clinton, Heather Moroz, Laura Farr and her son Connor, Alex Moroz, Christopher Cutler, Clement Feierabend Paul Gordon and our Friend of Rotary Member Tom Loth. Great examples of Service Above Self! The two evenings allowed us to spread all the mulch and prep the site for the new outdoor classroom space.
In addition to the mulch, we purchased two new child size picnic tables, a new teaching garden bed, two mud kitchens, a large outdoor connect four game and a number of alphabet and literacy outdoor activities. These will be great assets for the students and participants and add to the great space for learning and playing!
The hands on service project and the matching grant allowed us to Bring Back Play to over 700 local children and youth in our community, especially during these challenging times. The two kindergarten classes use the space regularly, in Spring, Fall and Winter and will be playing with mud not walking and running in it! A great example of Rotary in action… hands on service projects and funds raised through our events and Sunshine Fund that benefit so many children & youth! We brought PLAY BACK!