In what's believed to be their biggest donation in history, the Duncan Lions Club has donated $40,000 to Drinkwater Elementary School to compete a years-long fundraising campaign for a new playground.
The school's administration, its pupils, and its Parent Advisory Committee had been collecting funds for five years through various events and offers — everything from spring and fall fairs to Purdys chocolate, plant, and cheese sales, to bottle drives and more — all in an attempt to raise the staggering $135,000 needed for the purchase and installation of a playground for the school's intermediate students.
"We made it. We have completely made it. We have fundraised all of the money not only for our playground, but we fundraised the money required to install the playground," a proud principle Brenda Stevenson told those at a morning assembly on Monday.
"It is super exciting. However, if it wasn't for our group of guests, we wouldn't have been able to do it. We would have probably had at least another year or maybe two, having to fundraise," Stevenson explained.
Lions Club President Rick Manifold was joined by five other Lions to present a cheque to the school and PAC representative Amy Hamilton.
"We're here to help you celebrate this important project," Manifold told the students. "Work started many years ago...and your PAC started raising money. It sounds like you did a lot of raising. Our members heard about this about a year ago so we met with the principal to find out a little bit about it."
Manifold told the children that the Lions had learned the playground was going to cost more than $100,000 and that thus far $60,000 had been raised. He said the club talked it over and decided they'd like to make a donation towards this project.
"I'm proud to say that the club decided we would make the final donation. We are here to present to you a check for $40,000 to complete that job."
Representative Amy Hamilton received the cheque on behalf of the PAC.
"On behalf of the parents at the school and the parents' advisory committee, I just want to thank you so much," she told the Lions. "It means so much to us that you have considered this a great project to donate the money that you've raised to so that we can finish the project. So many of us, everybody is really super grateful."
The Lions Club's Margaret Wall said most of the group's funds come from sales at their thrift shop, the Sassy Lion.
