The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy left much of the area surrounding the Columbus School in Carteret, New Jersey destroyed, particularly the school’s playground and outdoor space. Over 3,500 children were forced to share the small swing-set and monkey bars at the one functional park in the neighborhood. At the Columbus School itself, the playground received new blacktop but no playground equipment—no swings, no slides, no monkey bars—for the children to use during recess and afterschool programs.Mrs. Morcevich, a kindergarten teacher at Columbus School, decided to request materials through DonorsChoose.org for her students to play with on the blacktop. She told us:
“These children need a place to feel safe after all that has been in the news lately and rebuild their confidence after many of them were affected directly by the hurricane and still are suffering from the impact.”
Soon after her project went live on the site, Mrs. Morcevich was contacted by a woman in Howard, Pennsylvania. Her son and his Boy Scout troop were so inspired by her project that they volunteered to help make over the blacktop!On a Sunday morning, Howard Troop 353 traveled to the Columbus School and painted a kickball court, hopscotch, foursquare court, and an alphabet line for the children to play on. The materials provided by generous donors and the help of Howard Troop 353, transformed the barren blacktop into a bright, fun area for all Columbus School children to play.
