‘Angels’ is how Deana Popowich describes the people that volunteer to install her daughter Halle’s playground piece.
On Friday, ground was broken to build “the pyramid,” a kind of rotating merry-go-round with a climbing net that moves around a large centre mast.
That comes after only two months of fundraising to grant a wish to the six-year-old Halle who was diagnosed with leukemia in June 2012.
“It’s just so awesome all of these people came together to do this,” her mother said.
Following Halle’s diagnosis, the Children’s Wish Foundation decided to grant her a new piece of playground equipment for her St. Albert School, J.J. Nearing Catholic Elementary School.
But playground equipment is expensive and the wish foundation had a limited budget. Money was still needed to prepare the ground for her piece.
That’s when fundraisers started up across the city.
One group, led by Jennifer Doucette-Giordano, set up a Facebook page called Halle’s Playground Wish to collect money. The fundraiser asks Save-On Foods cardholders to donate 1,000 points. The store later matches the donation at a rate of $1 per 1,000 points.
The group also set up a link on the J.J. Nearing school website for people to donate directly to the school.
Another company, KDM Management, gave $1,000 to the fundraiser and asked other businesses to match their donation. Several businesses stepped up to the plate.
Now seven contractors and suppliers have decided to donate their equipment and time in-kind to prepare the ground and install the playground.
That left enough money from donations to buy some more pieces Halle would like.
“We are blessed … All these companies stepped forward and covered (the one piece) and then we thought ‘why can’t we do some more,’” Doucette-Giordano said.
“So that’s where the other pieces are coming from. They are pieces she showed interest in.”
A quick build
‘The fastest moving project in Alberta’ is how Pat Zelenak described the construction of the playground.
Zelenak’s company, Playworks, supplies all of the playground pieces. He said it usually takes almost two years for a group to build a project like this. Most of that time is spent fundraising.
“And this one here has been fast-tracked. From start to finish we are looking at 12 weeks and then we are done with her piece,” he said.
Once the pyramid is build, Zelenak said they will add more pieces to the playground throughout the summer, among them a set of rock climbing pillars, triple-arch swings and other balancing toys.
He added the playground would get upgraded with a different surface in the future to make it wheelchair accessible. For now they are filling in sand so Halle can play on her wish piece before the end of the school year.
In total, the cost of the playground is estimated at about $182,000. Doucette-Giordano said they still need to raise about $80,000 to complete the project.
She said Halle is now in remission but there is always a chance of the cancer returning. That’s why they wanted to get her piece up as quickly as possible. Construction of “the pyramid” is expected to finish next Friday, June 14.
The locations of Save-On Foods accepting point donations in St. Albert are North and Village Landing. Edmonton locations are Mayfield, Oxford, Ellerslie, Stadium and Baseline in Sherwood Park.
Anyone wanting to donate or take part in the corporate challenge can mail or take a cheque or money order to J.J. Nearing school at 196 Deer Ridge Dr. under the name of Halle’s Playground Wish.
Online donations can be made through the school’s website at www.jjn.gsacrd.ab.ca.
