DERBY – A parent is spearheading a fundraising effort to replace Bradley School’s 30-year old playground.
Eric Lazowski, whose daughter is a fourth grader, said he remembers when the playground was being built when he was a Bradley student.
“The current playground is about 30 years old or so,” Lazowski said. “Now we have an opportunity to start fresh, modernize and make a new and exciting area for our children and the youth of the entire Derby community to play and make memories.”
The playground is still being used daily by students, but Lazowski said some of the equipment has been removed for safety reasons. He said the playground is about half the size it was when it was first built in the early 1990s.
“I feel bad for our kids, the playground really needs some help,” Lazowski said. “Any time the playground was brought up to city officials, the question was dismissed or told there was money to use for it. However, nothing was ever done.”
Lazowski said he and his wife, Heather, took it upon themselves to launch a fundraising effort, in partnership with the Bradley School PTA. The goal is to raise about $100,000 for a new playground. The effort is being done with the blessing of Bradley School Principal Mario Ciccarini, Superintendent of Schools Matthew Conway and the Derby Board of Education.
Conway said he’ll look into whether some federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA funds, can be used to help offset costs.
“We think this is a great idea and a great way to bring everyone together to support the rebuilding of the playground for both the school and the community,” Conway said. “We will be fundraising for as much of the project as we can, then look at the use of ARPA funds if needed. The Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen also offered to come back to them if we are not able to fundraise the full amount. Eric is very excited about the project and the opportunity to give back to the school he and his kids attended.”
So far, Lazowski said about $5,000 has been raised, thanks to a recent Halloween dance event at the school, as well as some early donations via an online crowd-funding webpage called FreeFunder.
The playground at Bradley School in Derby.
The first major fundraiser is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. at the Bridgeport Islanders vs Springfield Thuunderbirds hockey game at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport.
During intermission, visitors can buy a bag of pucks and participate in the “Chuck-a-Puck” game. Those with pucks get to throw them onto the ice and win prizes if they get near a target. All proceeds from the Chuck-a-Puck game will benefit the Bradley School playground fund, as long as Lazowski can sell 100 tickets prior to the game.
Lazowski said the existing playground is outdated and in need of maintenance. He hopes the new playground will include a lot more fun things for kids, including a new zipline, along with some beloved classics including bridges, slides, tire swings, slides, money bars and a rock wall. The new playground will also have an ADA compliant swing for disabled children.
Lazowski said he’s been reaching out to some playground supplier companies and will use his graphic design background to help in the design. The goal is to ideally have a new playground built in the next year or two, he said.
In addition to the hockey game fundraiser, Lazowski said rubber wristbands and vinyl decals in support of the new playground are available for purchase for $3 each.
More information and updates can be found on Facebook.
