This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Orem • A group of preschoolers handed a check Tuesday to City Council members to build a new, all-abilities playground.
Preschool students from the Playful Studies Preschool and Private Kindergarten donated $1,352.39 to be used for the All-Together Playground.
The playground will be built in Orem's City Center Park and is expected to open in September. According to its website, the all-abilities playground "will give all children in Utah County the chance to play, grow, and learn side-by-side" regardless of their age or abilities.
AshLee Winterrose's students were inspired by a friend, who uses a wheelchair, and the conviction that their friend needed a place to play, too, so they started fundraising.
Class members handed Mayor Richard Brunst and Councilman Mark Seastrand one jar full of bills and another full of coins, as well as a heart-covered check they drew themselves.
A fence will be built around the perimeter of the playground, aimed at preventing children from wandering away. Community members debated the height of the fence at the Orem City Council meeting.