Smile Cookie sales benefiting project this week
In 2023, the Morris School Playground Improvement Committee began raising funds for improving the accessibility of the playground.
This year, the committee has stepped up their efforts by signing up for Tim Hortons’ Holiday Smile Cookie campaign.
“Our goal is to make our school environment inclusive to all,” said Crystal Legary, Morris School student services administration assistant. “We want our new playground to be a safe, engaging play area that welcome every member of our community.”
The current school play structure is 25 years old and not accessible to people with special needs. The pea gravel makes the play area safe but unsuitable for wheelchairs. The improvement project won’t remove old equipment, only add new pieces.
“We have settled on a play structure design that is more inclusive to people with mobility issues,” says Legary. “This includes kids that are just learning to climb. When complete, the playground will increase enjoyment, outdoor play time, and physical and mental well-being for students but also for the community.”
Legary shared an estimate of $150,000 to complete the project, which includes the purchase and installation of several accessible structures. They hope to see it happen in the next 2-3 years, but it will depend on funding.
The committee has applied to the Morris Area Foundation for a grant to add a three-bay swing set immediately, including one bay with accessible swings.
“The new swing set has a bucket seat you can lift people in and out of,” says Legary. “Swings are our most popular play structure. We hope to get the swing set installed this year to show some progress and generate some interest.”
With a little under $10,000 raised so far, the project’s committee expanded this year from just school staff members to parents with a newly formed parent advisory council.
“The parents are eager to help. The first job of the PAC will be to put smiles on those cookies,” said Legary.
Pre-sales of Holiday Smile Cookies started two weeks ago. A thousand have already been ordered and will be delivered throughout the community this week. You can also stop by the restaurant through to Sunday to purchase cookies.
Proceeds from the week will be split between the playground project and Tim Hortons Foundation Camps.
Morris School principal Mike Watson has fired up students to sell cookies by putting his job on the line: the top cookie seller gets to be principal for a day. The kids have also been working hard to earn other fun prizes.
If you can’t make it to Tim Hortons for a cookie this week but still want to support the playground project, contact the school to make a donation or reach out to Legary at clegary@rrvsd.ca or 204-746-2612, extension 3225.
