A Playground Hat Trick

DOVER - Thinking caps were on this year as school officials set about finding a way to raise enough money to build a playground for special-needs students in east Hillsborough County.

They settled on a plan to let students and staff members pay for the privilege of wearing hats to class on two specific days.

Students at the Willis Peters Exceptional Student Center in Dover will benefit from the fundraiser organizers will help with to raise $200,000 needed for the playground. Peggy Ferro, the Willis Center administrator, is excited and appreciative of the fundraising effort.

'As part of Dover Elementary School, we are a center-school for students who are trainable mentally handicapped, physically handicapped, visually impaired, medically fragile, and deaf-blind students living mostly in eastern Hillsborough County,' Ferro said. 'Our students range in age from 3 to 22 years old. And our student enrollment averages around 120 students. Our low enrollment numbers make it very difficult to finance school projects through parental involvement alone. We realized that we needed help and got it from other Area 6 schools. Together we can do great things for these exceptional students.'

The playground used by the center's 3- and 4-year-old Head Start students is not wholly handicapped accessible, and is not designed for older students. The new playground will be handicapped accessible and is appropriate for all age groups. Miracle Recreation Equipment Co. provided an artist's rendition of the proposed facility, called a Boundless Gamma Playground.

'This idea of a completely accessible playground for the students at the Willis Peters Center originated several years ago when Plant City dedicated the Gilchrist Park handicapped friendly playground,' said Barbara Franques, general director for Area 6 schools. 'The city asked us to participate in the grand opening by having students from the center help christen the park. When we saw how much joy the playground brought to our students we decided right then to upgrade the school facility. It has taken some time to get to this point, but everything is falling into place.'

Ferro said Franques and Kathe Moore, supervisor for exceptional students in Area 6, have coordinated a fundraiser for all schools in that area, including Plant City, Dover and Valrico, to help finance the building of the playground.

Area 6 schools are participating in the Hats On for Willis Peters Playground fundraiser, Ferro said. Students and staff members may donate $1 to wear a hat to school. The first 'hats on' day was Friday and the second is Nov. 16.

The 28 public schools in Area 6 include about 26,000 students and 2,000 staff members.

Marie Caracciola, principal of both Dover Elementary School and the Willis Peters Center, said the playground will be a dream come true for the students and the center.

'We so appreciate the support of the parents of all the students in our area,' Caracciola said. 'The new playground will be wonderful for all the students who use it. The benefits will be realized not only by the special-needs students, but by the entire school, the community as a whole and the families we see every day.'

Through the efforts of the Willis Peters staff, students and parents, and a special plea made by Franques through the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce to area businesses, churches and individuals, the center has received donations of about $45,000 in cash and in-kind services for the construction of the new playground.

The donations include $25,000 from Floyd Hall, president of Sunshine State Federal Savings and Loan in Plant City. Other donations include those from the Brandon Hospital Auxiliary, the Brandon Masons, Sims Crane, Hubert Allen Inc. and numerous personal contributions, Ferro said.

Franques said she and Cathy Valdes, the Hillsborough County School District chief facilities officer, worked out a way to help pay for the construction of the playground. The district has a program in place where a school can gain matching funds up to $50,000 for an improvement project not provided for in the school district's annual budget. Each school can ask for matching funds once in a three-year period. The playground project's fundraiser will be eligible for matching funds.

'We are hoping the parents, students and staff will make this fundraiser a great success,' Franques said. 'If the participation is high enough we will be able to reach our goal, possibly without asking for additional matching funds.'

Ferro said Willis Peters Center students live in Temple Terrace, New Tampa, Tampa, Brandon, Seffner and Plant City.

'The majority of our students live in eastern Hillsborough County within the Plant City and Dover area,' Ferro said. 'Participation from the students, parents and staff of the Area 6 schools is definitely critical to our fundraising success.'

Ferro said there will be numerous benefits to the students once the playground becomes a reality. Students from Dover Elementary will share the playground to encourage interaction with Willis Center students.

Ferro said she is overwhelmed by the participation in the special fundraising program.

'I can't express how moved I am by the generosity and sense of family and community that the Area 6 schools have shown,' Ferro said. 'The entire staff at the center is extremely thankful for everyone's participation.'

HOW YOU CAN HELP

WHAT: Willis Peters Exceptional Student Center, 2919 Nelson Ave., Dover, is raising $200,000 for a handicapped accessible playground

RAISED SO FAR: $45,000 in cash and services

ABOUT THE CENTER: Willis Peters' 120 students include the trainable mentally handicapped, physically handicapped, visually impaired, medically fragile and deaf-blind. The playground also will be used by students at Dover Elementary School, which shares the campus

CONTACT: Call the center at (813) 757-9462