Thanks to the actions of a very busy PTA, students at Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington will have a brand new playground at the beginning of the school year this fall.
The school’s second annual Fun Run, held during the last two weeks of February, raised nearly $40,000 for the new playground and capped a successful year of fund-raising. The new playground’s price tag is estimated to cost between $80,000 and $100,000, all of which will be paid for by money raised this academic year.
A large grassy field requiring costly sod and periodic re-seeding will be transformed into a handicapped-accessible playground that will include a kickball field, an agility course and a fitness track.
Also, a new shaded area will offer relief to students and teachers from South Florida’s heat. The school’s two existing playgrounds will remain intact.
In addition to the Fun Run, the school’s PTA raised funds through its adults-only Party with a Purpose, the school carnival, a family costume dance during Halloween and its Phantom Fundraiser.