By Jacob Mathias

Roosevelt Elementary School literally couldn’t fit a square peg in a round hole.

Students and faculty returning to Roosevelt this fall were treated to brand new playground equipment at the school. The equipment was purchased by the Roosevelt Parent-Teacher Organization after learning the school’s existing playground equipment manufacturer would no longer be making spare parts.

According to Roosevelt Principal Kelly Snyder-Chase, the old equipment, installed in the early 90s, was manufactured using square support posts. The manufacturer, Miracle Recreation Equipment Company, informed the school they’d now only be making parts for round-posted equipment and the school’s equipment would not be usable within two years.

“It was either no playground or we were going to go really hard to try and do this,” said PTO Vice President Cary Norquay. “You can just imagine kindergarten to sixth grade without playground equipment.”

As playground equipment is not accounted for in current school budgets, the PTO stepped in and took out an $80,000 loan for new equipment and installation. The new equipment was purchased from Burke, a Fond du Lac-based manufacturer of playground equipment.

The PTO will continue fundraising over the next few years to pay off the loan.

An upcoming Touch-a-Truck event will act as fundraiser for the equipment. The fundraiser, held from 11 AM to 2 PM on September 30 at Pacawa Park, will feature between 15 and 20 vehicles on site for children to explore. Vehicles will include ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, construction equipment, a tour bus, a limousine, and hopefully a medical helicopter according to Norquay.

Snyder Chase lauded the PTO for their support of the school.

“Without them we wouldn’t have playground equipment,” she said.

Roosevelt’s Rock the Walk fundraiser, held annually in May, raised over $40,000 this year and will cover the PTO’s operating budget and make progress toward the playground loan.

“There was a lot of support from Plover and Stevens Point helping us out this year,” said Norquay.

In addition to the playground equipment, the Roosevelt PTO provides supplementary supplies, Chromebooks, Smartboards and a field trip fund to the school’s classrooms.

The event is free to attend but donations are accepted and all the space and equipment is donated so 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward the playground loan.

Pacawa Park is located at 1831 Maple Dr. in Plover.