School Playground Improvement on a Budget

Occasionally, we work on a school or neighborhood project that seems to embody the essence of what we hope to achieve at Ross Recreation: build strong personal relationships that endure; create something lasting and positive; and enhance a spirit of community.

Such was the case with Maria Ching and her PTA Committee at Vallejo Mill Elementary School in Fremont, California. The school had purchased a Landscape Structures playstructure almost twenty years ago and the PTA had considered a replacement structure that would better serve upper grades kids. Maria contacted us and after visiting the playground to discuss project needs and objectives, Ross recommended using the existing playstructure posts and decks that were in excellent condition and adding or replacing components that appealed to older kids, components that promoted upper body strength, balance, and fitness. We developed design options that the committee could review, and finalized a plan for the structure retrofit. Best of all, the plan cost a fraction of the cost of a full playground replacement! To save additional funds, Ross explained the benefits of using volunteers to install the new components. The results were gratifying. In Maria’s words: 

“Thank you, thank you, Alex, Bob and Ewing at Ross Recreation! This has been an awesome and fun experience overall. It’s been great working with everyone at Ross Recreation from beginning to end. Tom was patient, friendly, and knowledgeable being our technical director on site. We bonded as a community, made strong friendships, had fun, and completed something tangible and wonderful to give to the students and children in the community. This community build was an awesome experience and a legacy. In my humble opinion, it would have been very different, too easy, and way less meaningful to have done it otherwise. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts at Vallejo Mill Elementary!”
 

Retrofitted Playground at Vallejo Mill Elementary School, Fremont

Click here to learn more about playground retrofit options.

To learn more about volunteer installations, visit our Construction Services page. 

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