Garbiella Klang officially cuts the ribbon on the new playground at Dysart-Geneseo Elementary School in Dysart last Friday morning. Klang was one of several students who inspired the district’s pursuit of a new, inclusive playground. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

DYSART – On Friday morning last week, the Union Community School District officially cut the ribbon on a new, inclusive playground at Dysart-Geneseo Elementary School following a whirlwind year of fundraising spearheaded by members of the Dysart community.

Fundraising for the project officially began in early June of 2023 as part of DG Elementary’s final assembly of the school year. During the assembly, members of the student council including Morgan Flores, Otis Hartman, William Kotouc, Dane Pipho, and Ryker Staveley presented a $1,000 check to Principal Derek Weber as a down payment on a future new playground to replace the school’s deteriorating, nearly 35-year-old playground which lacked ADA-accessibility.

In total, the Dysart-Geneseo Playground Project committee raised approximately $300,000 as part of its efforts to build ‘a playground for every child.’

According to Principal Weber, the school still needs to install four new basketball hoops on the playground; in terms of what more he hopes to add to the space, Weber said he would like to construct a kickball/baseball diamond on the field area to replace a separate set of aging playground equipment which was demolished over the summer. He also said he would like to remove the pea gravel from the preschool playground (which was not replaced) with wood chips.

Additionally, DG’s PTO is raising funds to purchase an outdoor volleyball net for the playground.

Students and staff including Principal Derek Weber, far left, line up behind Dysart-Geneseo Elementary School on Friday, Sept. 6, ahead of the official ribbon cutting for the new, inclusive playground – ‘a playground for every child’ – which was installed at the school over the summer following a whirlwind year of fundraising. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

Weber said his students were ecstatic in the wake of the ribbon cutting including Garbiella Klang, one of several DG students who inspired the district’s pursuit of a new inclusive playground.

“They love it!” Weber wrote in an email of his students. “There were so many smiles. We even had a line to take turns using our new, inclusive swing!”

He also said completing the project felt ‘amazing.’

“There are so many people to thank for making this plan come to life. The whole town of Dysart rallied around this cause and the support has been inspiring.”

Over the weekend following the Friday ribbon cutting ceremony which was attended by both students and staff, Weber penned a letter to the community, posting it on the Dysart-Geneseo Playground Project’s Facebook page as a final piece of communication from the district. The letter is printed in its entirety below:

Students rush to explore the new playground following the ribbon cutting. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

Dear DG Elementary Community,

We are excited to announce the completion of the new playground at DG Elementary! This achievement represents the hard work, dedication, and generosity of many individuals and groups within our community. It is with deep gratitude that we share this moment with all of you.

First, I would like to express our sincere thanks to our generous donors, whose contributions made this project possible. Your support has provided a space where our students can engage, grow, and thrive for years to come.

I would also like to recognize the Playground Committee, whose vision and commitment guided this project from inception to completion. Their dedication was instrumental in ensuring the playground would be a wonderful and safe space for our students.

A special thank you goes to our incredible staff at DG Elementary for their ongoing support and encouragement, as well as to our students, who worked so hard in fundraising efforts. Your enthusiasm and perseverance made a significant impact! This group was also very patient in waiting for this playground to be completed.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

Additionally, I am grateful to the parent-teacher organization and other community members who contributed their time and efforts to help raise the necessary funds. Your teamwork and generosity demonstrate the power of collaboration.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Union Community School District for their guidance and partnership throughout this project. Their commitment to the DG students has been invaluable in helping bring this vision to life.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEREK WEBER