Oakley Elementary Kaboom Playground Build

Ok folks,   time is drawing near for the June 19th Oakley Elementary Kaboom Playground Build...

And we need your help.

I have lived in Oakley for 11 years now.

After we moved in, I waited several years, anticipating the day that my kid would be old enough to play at the park behind the elementary school.  He was finally old enough to walk and we went to the park often to play soccer.  As time went by, more playground equipment was added.  We played on all of it.  We had a blast and made a lot of memories.

Now though, most of the installed equipment is outdated and does not measure up to current playground safety standards.  So it is time to do something about it.

April Alexander, 4th grade teacher has vision. 

Several years ago, as I was chatting with her and other teachers on the playground,  she shared her feelings and vision for the neighborhood.  We talked about how we can demonstrate taking pride in our neighborhood and set a good example for our youth to follow.  The next day, I took my weed eater up to the park and started doing instead of talking.  It seemed there were budget cuts and the weeds were taking over my neighborhood park.  I had the skills to pay the bills, so I went at it.

What followed were more volunteers, and work days. Simple people giving up personal time to make our neighborhood awesome.

Oakley looks a whole lot better, and feels a whole lot more inviting than it did 11 years ago!

This year, April Alexander practiced what she preaches when she applied for the Kaboom Playground Grant, which is funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC.  After a lot of hard work by the faculty, staff, PTO and members of the community, we won the grant.


On June 19th, 250 volunteers will converge on the school property in our awesome little neighborhood and build the playground pictured below.  In one day!  But we need your help. 

We knew all along that this would be a big undertaking, and we are up for the challenge.

So,  what do we need from you?  Simple,  sign up to help.  Sacrifice one day of your time and be a part of a community coming together to accomplish something that is so much more than  a playground.  This is going to be a magical moment that you do not want to miss out on.  Be a part of making our neighborhood, our community, our city, a great place to live.  A place that offers help when needed.  A place that wants to provide a warm, safe, loving environment for our youth.

 Click the link below and register to sign up:
http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/55858325600

We also need all kinds of tools, take a look at the list below and let me know if you can help: stephen@tripsforkidswnc.com

Wheelbarrows 15
Spade shovels 30
Rock/Metal rakes 30
Cement (or garden) hoes 15 or more
6' step ladder 2 or 3
8' step ladder 2 or 3
Manual post hole digger 5
corded drill 10 plus
Powerful cordless drills w/batteries 5 plus
8 lb sledge hammers 2
4 lb sledge hammers 2
Garden hose with spray nozzle 2
100' extension cord 5
Power strips.cord splitters 5
25' extension cords 5
Digging Bars 2 or 3
Tamps 3
Garbage Cans 3 to 5
Claw hammers 10
Tables 15
Chairs 60
Pop Up tents Pop Up tents
Generator 2 to 3
Bobcat (prep day) 1
12" auger bit 1
18" auger bit 1


Thanks for making our community awesome!