MILLINGPORT, N.C. — An anonymous donor helped make a dream come true by helping Millingport Elementary School get a new playground.
“Her favorite part would be the spinning UFO or the rock-climbing wall,” said Hannah Lear, whose second grader goes to the school. “She was super excited about those two things.”
It’s been a monthslong fight to get there.
In June, Lear, who is running for Stanly County School Board at-large, and other parents raised safety concerns about the old playground, which had a cracked slide and missing monkey bars.
The district told them it would have to fundraise for a new one.
Lear said word got out and someone gave them a very generous donation anonymously.
“They worked with the playground company and picked out what we received,” Lear said. “We are grateful for them. Our kids would not be able to have this without them.”
The community cut the ribbon for the playground Friday and installed a plaque dedicating it to the mysterious donor and the school’s parent teacher organization.
“I just want to tell the parents, ‘Great job. Great job rallying for your community. Great job rallying for your school system,’” said Meghan Almond, at-large, Stanly County School Board.
Almond said she was disappointed that the district doesn’t have a budget for school playgrounds and wants to change that either through a budget line item or grant funding.
Lear agrees.
“That’s kind of my fight, because, as we spoke back last summer, it’s not just Millingport,” she said.
Lear said there are 11 elementary schools that need new playgrounds across the district.
It’s one of the reasons Lear said she’s running for a school board seat but for now, she’s enjoying the moment.
“I know it’s just a playground, but a playground means so much for to kids,” she said.
Lear said if she’s elected to the school board, she’ll focus on transparency, support for teachers, and ways to secure funding for school playgrounds.
VIDEO: ‘Failing our kids’: Parents raise money, ask Stanly County school for new, safer playground
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