Vera M. Welsh Elementary School is in desperate need of a new playground. The current aging structure barely meets the minimum safety criteria, say representatives of a group trying to raise funds and awareness for a new structure. For the past year the playground fundraising committee has been exploring a new way to find dollars. The AVIVA Community Fund contest is giving the group the chance to translate website votes into much-needed fundraising dollars.
AVIVA is an insurance company that is looking to give out between $5,000 and $150,000 to help individuals improve their communities.
“We could earn between $5,000 and $150,000 for the playground with this contest,” said Jen Okrainec a member of the playground fundraising committee. “ One hundred and fifty thousand dollars would completely pay for all the equipment upgrades we need.”
Okrainec saw this contest as a way to grow awareness and support for the project, and took the initiative to sign up for the campaign.
According to Okrainec, the contest is open to anyone who wants to support Vera M. Welsh; all you need to do is register and vote.
Projects from across the country are also highlighted on the AVIVA website. And a simple click on the project could short-list it into the next round of the competition
“It’s really easy, you can vote once a day. We just need to be in the top 30 to make it to the next round,” she said.
The playground that Vera M. Welsh is looking to build will be able to be safely transferred to the Bold Center should the school be relocated.
The playground committee will be holding their annual general meeting this week in order to finalize their financial goals and organize future fundraisers to continue gathering money.
“We really want to encourage people to vote in the AVIVA contest, even if we only get $5,000 it would be that much closer to our goal.”
To vote, visit http://www.avivacommunityfund.org
