JACKSONVILLE - Heat and humidity did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of students at Our Saviour School as they raced onto their brand new school playground during their lunch recess on the second day it was open. Thanks to the generosity of Michael Thoresen and The Thoresen Foundation, a grass lot next to the old parish rectory across the street from the school has been transformed into a playground filled with creative and fun equipment.
{mosimage}There are slides, walkways, monkey bars, tunnels, and multiple other amenities in the largest structure on the new playground. A Track Ride, Tilted Sky Runner, and Buck-About Coil Spring are names of some of the other independent pieces of equipment. In addition, a bank of swings lines the back of the new fenced-in playground, which is surrounded by a paved walking path. Picnic tables will be installed on a concrete paved area on the south side of the playground to create an outdoor classroom.
"About a year ago, right before school started, Michael Thoresen was visiting some family members who live in the Jacksonville community. They were part of a parents' club volunteer group who wanted to paint a map of the United States on the playground, just west of school," said Father Ken Venvertloh, Our Saviour pastor. "They had gone out and mapped it all out, and had started painting it, when he (Thoresen) happened to be visiting, and he volunteered to help them paint it. In the process of, he noticed there was only a small playground with equipment for first- and second-grade children." He learned there was no playground equipment for the older students. "He told them, ‘I might be able to help you out.'"
Thoresen asked for a committee to put together a proposal to submit to the foundation. The committee included the school principal, school board members, parents and parishioners.
"We came up with three options," said Rita Carney, Our Saviour principal, as she watched the second- through fifth-grade students dart from one play area to another on the new playground during their lunch recess on Aug. 22.
"Our first option was the largest structure, which included a sign ‘Our Saviour School' over the gateway center entrance to the structure," she said. The second option included the first option plus other individual pieces of playground equipment.
"Our third option included the other options plus swings, and tables and benches to eat on. It was our grand dream proposal," Carney said.
The Foundation approved the third option, which included landscaping along with upkeep on existing playground facilities on campus.
Parishioner Jim Burke, who was a member of the playground committee, served as project engineer. "He supervised the whole thing," said Father Venvertloh. "He had worked on another playground in south Jacksonville, which is a little bit bigger than ours and includes a slide and water. He knew who to contact for what we needed."
Thoresen came to the groundbreaking ceremony at the end of the school year. The new playground will be dedicated on Saturday, Sept. 1, after the 5:30 p.m. Mass.