The Willis Peters Exceptional Center was finally able to build the handicap-accessible playground it spent years working toward, but there was one problem: the Florida sun.
Thanks to the efforts of Frank Cummings and the Plant City Lions Club, it may not be a problem for much longer.
On Tuesday, Jan. 26, the Lions Club presented the Dover school for special-needs students with a $25,000 check, to be used to help build a shade structure for the playground and patio. In total, the Lions are hoping to gather $100,000 to complete the project.
“Every school has recess for an hour or two a day,” Cummings, Lions Club president, said. “These kids can only be outside for 10 to 15 minutes before the weather starts really affecting them.”
Willis Peters Exceptional Center works with students, ages 3 to 22, that have intellectual disabilities. When the playground was built, the need for shade was magnified. And, unfortunately for the school, there was no way the cost for shade would be covered easily.
“They’ve tried to plant trees out there, find ways to get shade, but nothing worked,” Cummings said. “It’s not in school district’s budget to provide sun shades — the school has to do it itself.”
Cummings said that the project, which started out small, has “snowballed” into an initiative that, when finished, should cover the playground and allow the teachers to hold classes in an outdoor setting.
To get to $25,000, the Lions Club has taken a number of avenues.
It’s allocated money earned from its food booth at the Florida Strawberry Festival and also used money raised at newer events, such as the Lions Club barbecue. At the 2015 Pig Jam, the club worked with Willis Peters students to make and sell desserts, which raked in nearly $1,000. The students and club will be doing that again at this year’s Strawberry Festival food booth.
The school also works with Wells Memorial Funeral Home to sell parking spaces during the Strawberry Festival.
Whatever money is earned from both the 2016 food booth and parking lot ventures will go toward the shade. The club and school will then apply for several grants.
“That should cover it,” Cummings said. “We’ll be able to cover (the playground) up and bring these children, who are in need of some fresh air, outside.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.