Big day for Lafayette Elementary playground; your turn’s next

The upgrade-in-progress playground of West Seattle’s most populous elementary school, Lafayette, are swarming today with hundreds of volunteers in bright orange shirts. The ING Direct Investing team members are working on playground components including maps of the world (top photo) and the U.S., and the new play structure itself:

They’re also painting, and planting, in and around playground walls:

And they’re helping install the bricks that helped raise money for the project, which is using a combination of community donations and city matching funds:

Next step: This weekend, a community work party, which might stretch to a second day if needed. Here’s the announcement from one of the project chairs, Holly Grambihler:

We still need your help to finish our project. Our next big Lafayette volunteer work party is scheduled for Saturday, 8/27. We will start work at 9 am and will work until 4 pm. We’re hoping to once again to complete our tasks on Saturday and work on Sunday 8/28 only if needed. …

The main objectives of the weekend work party are to put the final touches on the playground. We’ll be spreading fresh wood chips around the new big toy, and completing any planting and weed pulling. In addition, we will be working on finalizing any of the interior painting projects (we’re painting the front lobby, around the classroom doors and in the new portables), and helping move the teachers into their portables.

Please bring work gloves. Also, we are in need of: wheel barrows, shovels & rakes, tarps to help carry the wood chips, and planting/weeding tools. Please make sure to have your name on your tools. … Please bring snacks/lunches. We’ll provide waters.

Kids are okay to bring – but there will still be a fence separating the satellite play area, and they will not be able to play on the new big toy yet. We may have a special project or two for the kids!!

The playground’s grand opening is set for September 6th, 5-7 pm – on the eve of the first day of school.

4 Replies to "Big day for Lafayette Elementary playground; your turn's next"

  • JC August 25, 2011 (12:01 pm)

    What an amazing contribution by ING Direct Sharebuilder! As a parent of a child that attends Lafayette – THANK YOU!!

  • Gina August 25, 2011 (2:45 pm)

    School district groundkeepers were weedwacking this morning on the cracked old pavement area. Looks like they could use a hand sweeping up the debris!

  • N.A. Neighbor August 26, 2011 (9:05 am)

    THANK YOU ING DIRECT!!!!!!

  • Chris Tobola August 26, 2011 (9:35 am)

    Doubly proud as my son Mike works for ING Direct and he is one of the alumni of West Seattle High School. He designed one of the murals with children on it for the lower playfield! He was thrilled to be able to give back to the community that he was raised in and is thankful to his company for making it a really fun event to participate in.

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