The fundraising team for Little Falls Public School is hoping to strike it rich. The group has entered an online contest, sponsored by Aviva Insurance, to win $135,000 to build a fully accessible playground for the new elementary school.
The competition is separated into three rounds; the Little Falls entry is part of Round 2, with voting closing at midnight on Nov. 15.
People can visit www.avivacommunityfund.ca, and quickly register by entering an e-mail address in order to vote. Then, they can search for entry number acf2729 — the Little Falls project.
Lynn Hainer, a lead on the fundraising team, says that “voting each day can help us make it to the finals.”
The top 20 submissions from each round will be evaluated by a panel, with the winners announced on Jan. 25, 2010.
“it’s simple,” she says of the process. “Just go online and show your support.”
The project being promoted is for a fully wheelchair-accessible playground at the new school (the new playground at East Ward park has accessible components) that would include a soft tile surface that would be easy on all wheels, whether it be wheelchair or stroller.
The total cost of the playground is $135,000; just over a third of the $315,000 goal set by the fundraisers.
And, thanks to a donation finalized on Monday, that goal is a little bit closer. St. Marys Central School’s parents council  pledged $10,000 to the Little Falls Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow campaign.  The funds come from various Central fundraisers, including the popular carnival.
And, as those who attended the first transition meeting on Oct. 28 learned, some of the money will be going to the new Arthur Meighen wing of DCVI, which will house the Grade 7 and 8s. Hainer says that approximately $25,000 will go to adding technology, storage, decorating and possibly, an outdoor space, to the new wing — only now is the Avon Maitland District School Board starting to provide more details on what the funds could do.