Students, teachers, staff and donors gathered at Coquitlam's Smiling Creek Elementary this morning (June 6) to celebrate the official opening of a new playground.
And, it's wheelchair accessible.
Smiling Creek PAC vice-chair Stacey Cruz said the fundraising campaign for the play space started in 2020 with an initial goal of $44,000.
However, when Wesbild Homes and Townline Homes — two major developers on Burke Mountain — pitched in $20,000 each, the PAC decided to expand the school ground facility to make it more inclusive.
"The money was coming in slowly through our bottle drives and hot lunches," Cruz told the Tri-City News, "so when we got the two donations we were thrilled because it allowed us to do more for the kids."
The other donors include Variety - The Children’s Charity, Foxridge Homes, Polygon Homes, Mosaic Homes, Noura Homes, Onni and ADN Refridgeration.
Damian Stanley, the past PAC chair, told the crowd before the giant red ribbon was cut, "This would not have happened without your generous support.... This playground will last a lifetime."
