One vote could make all the difference to transforming a dream of Turner Valley students into reality.
Students, staff and parents at Turner Valley School are asking the public to vote for their Legacy Park project through the Aviva Community Fund before the end of Oct. 28 in hopes that their project will receive a much-needed $100,000 boost. Voting takes place Oct. 11 to 28 with each participant allotted 18 votes, which they can cast all at once.
As of Monday afternoon, the votes totaled more than 4,000.
“Right now we are at $80,000,” said Becky Mowatt, Legacy Park Committee chairperson. “It more than doubles what we can do. We can qualify for matching grants at $125,000. It really starts to multiply where we can go.”
The school began its Dare to Dream campaign a year ago to raise $800,000 to transform the school grounds into a 16,000 square-foot wheelchair accessible recreational space called Legacy Park.
The plan calls for a net climber, sand box, castle structure, wheelchair accessible ramps, concrete boulevard with trees and picnic tables and history wall with panels showing the history of the region, province and country over the last century, among other features.
The school is pushing to get the shovel in the ground next year, said Mowatt.
“We might have to scale down but we’re definitely building next summer with the money we have,” she said. “Our thinking is to try to do as much as we can this coming year. The more funding we can get in the next little push would be huge.”
Mowatt said the playground equipment, which will attach to the existing structure, is the top priority and that $100,000 can make a huge difference in what is added.
“If the community could help us get this $100,000 it would be massive,” she said. “We’re trying to get the kids in the school to vote, as well as organizations that have supported us. Winning the grant would take the project to $180,000.”
Mowatt said Turner Valley School’s Legacy Park entered the Aviva Community Fund competition the past two years, but with no success.
“Now with almost $80,000 we hope this will help to get a little bit more support,” she said.
To support Turner Valley School’s Legacy Park, log in, create an account and cast your vote at www.avivacommunityfund.org/voting/project/view/16-441.
To learn more about the park or to make a donation go to fnd.us/c/6wt45
