Time for the next steps in the Gatewood Elementary playground project, and you can help, in a variety of ways. From Sandy Lennon:

The final draft design for the SW corner of our playground — based on student and community priorities — will be presented this coming Monday, May 8, 6-6:30 pm in the school cafeteria just before the general PTA meeting. Karen Kiest, landscape architect, and Gatewood’s playground steering committee will present the design, explain next steps in fundraising and implementation, and take questions and final feedback from our community.*

And, we need your help to make playground improvements a reality!

To apply for a $100,000 implementation grant from the City’s Neighborhood Matching Fund in June, we need to come up with $50,000 worth of community match in the form of volunteer hours, cash, and in-kind donations. Could you, family, and/or friends pledge:

-volunteer time for work parties? All ages welcome!
-a cash donation?
-a donation of food and drinks for work parties?
-If you are a contractor: help with heavy equipment or irrigation work?
-If you own a plant nursery or landscaping business: donated/discounted trees, soil, mulch, sod, boulders, logs or other needed materials for improvements?

It all counts toward our match, so come and lend your support for playground improvements. If you can pledge to help but can’t make the meeting on Monday, please email Sandy Lennon at sandylennon@comcast.net.

On that note, save the date! Second Gear Sports, our West Seattle sports-consignment store, is donating 10% of sales on Sunday, May 21, to playground improvements. Gear up for your summer sports on May 21 and help us on our way to a better playground.

*Playground design work has been generously funded by a Small Sparks grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ Neighborhood Matching Fund and the Gatewood PTA.