The Jaffrey Parks and Recreation Department is forging ahead this summer with fundraising for the second phase of new playground equipment for the Humiston Park playground.
The state of the equipment at the Humiston Park playground became a priority for Recreation Director Renee Sangermano when she was hired in 2015, as the 20-year-old equipment didn’t meet current safety standards.
In the spring of 2018, Jaffrey was able to remove the old equipment and install the first phase of the project, thanks to an $18,453 grant, which was used to purchase a play structure for grade and middle school-aged children, and a new swing set that includes swings that allow parents to swing together with their young children.
In November of 2018, Girl Scout Allyson Hocter contributed to the project as part of her Girl Scout Silver Award Project, making and selling items to purchase a “sensory seat” a piece of inclusive playground equipment that can be used by children with and without disabilities.
The next phase is expected to be even bigger.
Jaffrey Parks and Recreation is planning to install six new swings, a climbing structure designed for children from ages 5 to 12, and fill a niche currently not served at the playground by adding a play structure designed for pre-schoolers.
“Other than the multi-generational swing, we don’t have anything designed for pre-schoolers at our playgrounds,” Sangermano said. “We want to encourage them to explore and climb and have something specifically designed for their age level.”
The new equipment is estimated to cost $40,000. Some donations for the project have already come in, raising about $6,000 towards it.
Donors so far include the McDonalds in Jaffrey, the Conant High School National Honor Society and the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce. And, Sangermano said, she plans to seek additional grants to fund the project.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.