After raising more than $40,000, Edgewood Elementary playground gets an upgrade

GREENFIELD -- It's a major accomplishment for the students and staff at a Greenfield school. They've collected more than $40,000, and have used that money to create something the whole community can enjoy.

It looks and sounds more like a construction site than a school yard at Edgewood Elementary in Greenfield. Wrapped in plastic and in cardboard boxes are pieces of a brand new playground.

"We fund-raised all year long," Sue Sterner, principal at Edgewood Elementary School.

New equipment is now being added to both the north and south sides of the playground because the other equipment was outdated. And it's been a team effort.

"We all value having a great space to play and making our school a place where our kids want to be," said Sterner.

The students held events and brought in $23,000 from the community. The district donated $5,000. The school got a grant for $15,000 and a student won a $1,000 grant on her own to put a Maple tree on the south end, which lacks shade.

"The trees give us so many thing that we need, they give us food, they give us air, they give us oxygen," said Annabelle Tornio, the student who won the grant.

It's hard for some of the 5th graders to day goodbye to the old playground  -- but students are proud to have been apart of this.

"This playground has been around since I was in first grade, so with it being removed, it kind of takes some memories and some fun I had when I was younger," said Mia Bodanske, 5th grade student.

The new playground should be finished by Monday. Edgewood Elementary is a neighborhood school and the playground will be open to the public for everyone to use during the summer months.