HES garage sale raises $1,500 for playground project

The Hillsboro Elemen?tary School playground project took another step toward the fundraising goal with a garage sale Saturday at the school.

Principal Evan Yoder said receipts haven?t been finalized, but it appears the project raised around $1,500.

Organized by the HES Site Council, the event was one of the most successful fundraisers so far in an effort to upgrade or replace the two playgrounds at the school.

Yoder said organizers received a lot of clothes, and a significant amount are still available at the school. Leftover adult clothes have been transferred to the Et Cetera Shop in Hillsboro, but a supply of kids clothing is still available for sale through Thursday.

?We thought parents may want to get some of those,? Yoder said. ?A lot of families that didn?t come through could use them.?

The clothes will be sold for $1 per grocery-bag filled, and shoes will sell for 50 cents per pair.

?It?s a great deal, and hopefully we?ll get rid of them,? Yoder said. ?I will haul whatever?s left to Et Cetera Shop on Thursday.?

People interested in purchasing clothing should check in at the HES office, fill their sack, then come back to the office to check out.

District officials have said that they plan to start construction on the north playground project as soon as school is out even though all the funding is not in hand.

Yoder said there is some concern about a large grant from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which was to be announced in February but then was delayed until April.

School officials speculate the delay is related to the state?s budget deficit.

?We?re a little worried that the powers said, ?Let?s just hold off on those playground?we need to make budget,?? Yoder said.

?We are still without the grant, so we?re about $40,000 to $45,000 short,? he added. ?We?re going on faith and a prayer that we?ll get the money before school is out.?

Yoder expressed gratitude for the site council?s continuing investment of energy in the project.

?Thanks to those people who got it all ready on Friday night, then helped on a beautiful Saturday to make that happen.?

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