For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 19 2017

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Dondero Elementary School Participates in Portsmouth Holiday Parade, Kicks Off Playground Fundraising Campaign

PORTSMOUTH — Principal Katherine Callahan is pleased to announce that the Dondero Elementary School participated in the Portsmouth Holiday Parade to kick-off its fundraising campaign for a new playground.

On Saturday, Dec. 2, members of Dondero’s Parent Teacher Association attended the Portsmouth Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting to introduce their fundraising efforts to bring a $100,000 playground to students and community members.

As part of the event, the Dondero School created a float, “Pennies for the Playground,” which students walked alongside, handing out bookmarks and flying discs to passersby. Earlier in the year, the PTA spearheaded a contest where they awarded the class that collected the most pennies with an ice cream party.

The school’s Minecraft pig mascot, which was created by 10 Dondero School students from repurposed boxes, was also at the parade and interacted with attendees alongside the float. He will make regular tours around the city to educate community members about the playground and fundraising efforts.

Over the next couple months, the Dondero School Playground Committee will be ramping up its campaign, reaching out to residents, businesses and community members for their support. The Dondero PTA has already donated $20,000 of its annual budget to the endeavor, and because the playground will serve 310 students at Dondero, and an additional 427 homes at the Elwyn Park and Woodlands neighborhoods, the committee hopes this venture will be supported.

The goal is to break ground on the new playground, which will be located next to the baseball field and close to the kindergarten wing, this summer. Dondero’s current playground is 17 years old and does not meet the needs of the community or comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.

“We’ve had a great start to our fundraising campaign and the parade was a fantastic opportunity for the Dondero School to share our goals with the community,” Principal Callahan said. “We hope to see this project come to fruition because we know that playgrounds provide a space for students to learn, cooperate with others, overcome challenges and explore.”

Those who would like to donate to the campaign can do so at the Dondero School’s gofundme page here. Find out more about the project here.

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