**Help Us Build a Safer and Brighter Harter Park Playground!**
Find us on socials:
Facebook - Playground Paradise
Facebook - Union City Progress
Click here to watch the pitch competition where Playground Paradise wins $10,000!
Visit the Playground Paradise Patronicity webpage to learn more about the IHCDA's $35,000 matching grant we won through creatINgPlaces.
Hello! We are a group of dedicated students in grades 9-12 from Randolph Eastern School Corporation, and we're on a mission to make a positive impact on our community. We've set our sights on Harter Park, a bright spot and special place to many in our community.
The student Playground Paradise group raised over $100,000 that was put towards the purchase of phase 1 equipment. The new equipment will be installed in the spring of 2026.
Our new goal is to raise $184,000 to complete phase 2 for our 5-12 structure. While our phase 1 focuses on ADA accessible equipment and activities for children under the age of 5, our phase 2 will also provide sensory items and equipment for school aged children. This will allow for every child, no matter what age, to interact with one another and have something to look forward to when they visit Harter Park.
Why did we decide to take this task on? Here's why:
**Our Community:** We invite you to be part of our vibrant and welcoming community, a place where safety, inclusivity, and togetherness are the most important traits. Our tight-knit community thrives on diversity. We would like to provide you with some demographics of our community. Sixty-seven percent of our community members are under the age of 18 and forty-one percent are of Hispanic or Latino heritage. Our poverty rate is at nearly twenty percent, this ranks sixty-one percent higher than the state average. Our community is different than others but we as students are working to make a difference and leave a lasting impact on future generations.
**Accessibility and Safety:** The current playground, located in the park's center, lacks ADA accessibility, making it challenging for everyone, including those with special needs, to enjoy its offerings. We believe that every child, regardless of their abilities, should have the chance to play and explore safely.
**Health and Hygiene:** Another pressing issue is that the current playground's location in the shade has led to the growth of harmful bacteria and mold on the equipment. We want to replace it with a new, sunlit playground that's not only safe but also promotes good health and hygiene.
**Mental Wellness:** Furthermore, the installation of the new playground equipment has the potential to enhance children's mental well-being. This modern playground will attract children and parents alike to venture outdoors. As children engage in play and physical activity while enjoying themselves, it promotes not only physical health but also their happiness and overall enjoyment.
**Our Vision:** The funds we raise will be dedicated to purchasing state-of-the-art playground equipment and making necessary improvements to the park, ensuring a brighter, healthier, and safer future for all who visit Harter Park.
By contributing to our cause, you're helping us transform Harter Park into a place where the community can come together, children can play freely, and everyone can enjoy the outdoors safely. We invite you to join us in making this vision a reality. Your support means the world to us, and it will have a lasting impact on our community.
Thank you for taking time to read about our mission and our why. We hope you will be a part of our incredible journey to create a better Harter Park for all!
With thankful hearts,
Randolph Eastern School Corporation Students