Donations continue to pour in for small Richmond school's new playground

Donations have been pouring in to build a new playground at tiny Grauer elementary.

The Richmond News told last week how the 160-student school, near Blundell Road and Railway Avenue, needed to raise $60,000 to get phase one of the playground project off the ground.

The school community had raised more than $50,000 in the last 10 months, but had appealed for 100 business people to chip in $100 each to bring the total up to the required $60,000.

By the time the News caught up with principal Andrew Ferguson, the school had managed to find 31 of the 100 people they need.

And by this week, after the story came out, another $700 has been committed via emails or in cheques already received. 

“One donation has come from a parent whose son was a student here in the ‘80s; she rode her bike over first thing!” said Ferguson.

“Another has come from a family at Homma elementary; their girls love the new playground they have there so much, they want our kids to have the same experience!”

Ferguson told last week how it’s tough to raise large sums of money for a school as small as Grauer.

He said the full project will cost around $180,000, with support hopefully on the way in the fall from the City of Richmond and the school district.

Anyone wanting to help the school with the playground project, can mail a donation to the school at 4440 Blundell Rd., V7C 1G9 or to the Richmond School District (these cheques would be payable to the Richmond School District) at 7811 Granville Ave., V6Y 3E3.

Ferguson said a note attached to anything sent to the school board, indicating it’s for the Grauer playground, will be directed to the correct place.

Pledges can also be emailed to the school at Grauer@sd38.bc.ca.