New Irwin playground was a community effort
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK - Some generosity on the part of many has brought a new playground to students at Irwin Elementary School, Racetrack Road.

Dealing with playground equipment that was 35 years old, parents and students wanted to renew the playground but faced a major obstacle - there was no money in the school budget to do so. So the Irwin School PTA launched a series of fundraisers over the course of two years, raising about $60,000.

That was enough to build the new playground, complete with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible equipment and pieces low enough to the ground so the youngest students can use them, according to PTA President Ilyse Hahn.

The playground equipment was purchased in December and installed in April, and students are already enjoying the new furnishings. The new set is about 1,700 square feet and is located in a different area than the old playground.

Jackie Burch, PTA president-elect, said the equipment includes therapeutic rings, an ADA gizmo panel, two new slides, a giant wave climber, rock wall, trunk climber, horizontal ladder and tree climber. The pieces have a low transfer point, or area from which to gain access, so disabled students can use them.

Hahn said the PTA's playground committee started raising funds about two years ago and was able to get a total of about $36,000 from the community. In addition, the township contributed $15,000, Lowe's Home Improvement Center donated $5,000 and Home Depot gave $3,000.

Except for one piece that was 10 years old, the former playground equipment dated back 35 years, Hahn said.

The committee coordinated a number of fundraisers to accomplish its goal, including a penny war, walk-a-thon, tricky tray, raffle and pasta nights. By April, it had enough money to complete the playground.

Hahn said the old playground is still in use, but the area is likely to be turned into a parking lot in a few years if the school is renovated.

She thanked Game Time, the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based manufacturer from whom the equipment was purchased, as well as Rich Picerno Builders, of Kenilworth, which installed the equipment. She also expressed gratitude to the East Brunswick Township Recycling Center for storing the equipment until it could be installed.