After many months of planning and fundraising in the community, the new playground project at the Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School is coming to life. The playground has been a long-awaited project, and students, teachers, parents and community members alike are thrilled to see the vision unfold. Groundbreaking on the project is scheduled for this summer.

The project is funded by several private gifts and is made possible in large part due to generous grants from area businesses. Scheels’ partnership in the endeavor brought the project over the fundraising goal with their $40,000 grant.  “All of us at Scheels are glad to contribute to the outdoor learning environment project at the CVMCS. The project is sure to have a significant impact on the children of the school and the surrounding community.  The physical fitness and scholastic development of our children is an important facet of our community responsibility, and as such we welcome the opportunity to give back to the community in this way,” Daniel Baemmert, Eau Claire Scheels’ Assistant Store Leader, shared.

Parents and community members share Baemmert’s enthusiasm and are grateful for the support. Blenda Yun, CVMCS Parent and Trustee of the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation, said, “We are so grateful to have the opportunity to bring this innovative space not only to the students of CVMCS but also to the West Riverside neighborhood.  None of this would be possible without the support of the families and friends of CVMCS, the Eau Claire community, and the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation."

Businesses in the area who pride themselves on health and fitness have been supportive of the project.  The playground is also sponsored by a generous Hometown Health grant through Mayo Clinic Health System. Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School’s principal, Todd Johnson, was thrilled to see the support from the community. “Someone once told me there are 100 different words for the word “snow” in the Inuit Native American language. I wish there were that many for ‘thank you!’ I would use every one of the words to express my gratitude!”

The Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation is a Supporting Organization of the Eau Claire Community Foundation. To learn more, please visit the ECPSF website at www.ecpsfound.org.