Province Gives $50,000 for DATL Playground Renovations

Join us in honoring Jeremy Shaw, Oct 2nd

Our entire community was saddened by the accidental passing of Jeremy Robert Shaw on Dec 4th, 2009. Jeremy was the beloved son of Chuck and Marie Shaw. Jeremy attended Dr A T Leatherbarrow School in his Primary years and is remembered fondly as a very active young boy. Jeremy lived in the community his whole life. He had a firm handshake and a warm smile for everyone he met. He embodied the spirit of outdoor enthusiasm, enjoying 4- wheeling, snowmobiling, camping and fishing. He was a testimonial to the quality lifestyle that he and his family fostered and contributed to in the Hampton community. He was a loving husband to his wife Amy, and proud father to his son Will.

It is with deepest regard for the entire Shaw Family, and in gratitude for all that they have contributed to our community over the past decade that we respectfully dedicate this playground to the memory of Jeremy Shaw. We hope that the entire community will be inspired by the Shaw's continued involvement and commitment to worthy community projects that will leave a legacy for our future generations.

Province Gives $50,000 for DATL Playground Renovations

(Photo by Cindy Wilson/Telegraph-Journal)

HAMPTON - Children at Dr. A.T. Leatherbarrow Primary School in Hampton will soon have a new playground.

Playground committee chair Kerry Olinskie, left, principal Lisa Jardine, centre, and Energy Minister Jack Keir took part in a sod turning for a new playground at Dr. A.T. Leatherbarrow Primary School in Hampton. The provincial government announced it will help fund the $190,000 playground - a project spearheaded this spring by a group of volunteer parents to replace the 40-year-old playground equipment at the school and double the size of the outdoor play space.

Energy Minister Jack Keir made the announcement on behalf of the Regional Development Corporation, which is investing $50,000 into the project through its Family and Youth Capital Assistance Program.

The provincial grant edges the playground committee closer toward its goal to raise $100,000. For every dollar raised, it will be matched by The Let Them Be Kids, a national non-profit organization that helps to build playgrounds across Canada.

The Dr. A.T. Leatherbarrow Primary School is the first project in New Brunswick to receive the Let Them Be Kids Award.

"The provincial government is proud to be a partner in this community project," Keir said. "This project for Hampton and the region will allow our young people to continue to be active and our communities to continue to thrive."

Kerry Olinskie, chair of the playground committee, said donations have been coming in for the new playground throughout the summer.

A Hampton family recently donated $10,000 toward the project. The Hampton River Runners donated $3,000 and Laurie Sanford Excavating has donated services in kind.

But the committee still needs to raise more money to complete the project. It's accepting donations through the project's website (http://hampton.ltbk.ca), at the Bayview Credit Union and the Scotiabank in Hampton.

It's also looking for corporate donations to make the project a success, said school principal Lisa Jardine.

"We are looking for about $2,000 worth of sod for the green space," she said. "And we're looking for donations for fencing and cement."

This Saturday, the committee and other volunteers will be bagging groceries from noon to 4 p.m. at the Rothesay Superstore.

As well, bottle redemptions can be donated at the Hampton Bottle Exchange.

On build day, which begins at 8 a.m. on Sept. 25, the committee is looking for more volunteers.

It's hoping more than a hundred people will show up to help erect the playground equipment, do some landscaping and even help with the painting of murals inside the school.

"Volunteers will be assigned a task and a team leader," Olinskie said.

People who are interested in helping on Sept. 25 are asked to sign up on the project's website.

"This is going to be an exciting and wonderful day for our school and community," Jardine said.

"The children within the community are looking forward to a safe and welcoming place to play. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of Let Them Be Kids, and all the volunteers who are supporting this effort to beautify our school grounds, and provide much needed resources for our students and families."

Ian Hill, the volunteer CEO of the Let Them Be Kids, said the Dr. A.T. Leatherbarrow Primary School was chosen among hundreds of applications from across the country.

"Your community will be featured with a select group of others from across Canada who have received this special award," he said.

"The whole country will watch as you set the example of what great things can happen when a community comes together."
For more information, visit http://www.hampton.ltbk.ca/
(Story published Aug 19, 2010)

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