New Acton Playground Coming this Summer

Kids and parents in Acton will get a treat later this year as the new Goward Playground will be installed, thanks to the Friends of the Playground.

Friends, an Acton-based group of citizens and parents who are concerned about the age and safety of the Goward Playground, adjacent to the Acton Memorial Library, recently announced it reached its year-end goal of raising $50,000. A year ago, the group raised $11,000 and didn't think a new playground was possible.

But a year later, this group of concerned Acton citizens and parents has secured $150,000 from the town, $50,000 in private and corporate donations, and an exciting new playground design, ready to be installed in the spring.
 
To raise the funds over the past year, Friends held several events like Chalkapoolza, where local children created a large chalk mosaic on the current playground blacktop, brick sales, raffles at grocery stores, and two kids’ Fun Runs.

During the past several months the playground committee focused on picking out equipment based on the $200,000 budget. Drawing on community feedback and consultations with playground designers, the group now has an exciting new playground design.  

The group offered its gratitude in a press release to several major sponsors. At the Platinum level: the Redmond Corporation, which has donated site excavation and ground preparation, the Steinberg Lalli Foundation, and The Joanne Casavant Memorial Fund. Gold sponsors include Acton Family Network and McDonalds of Acton. Silver sponsors include Sean and Jana Cataldo, Cambridge Savings Bank, Middlesex Savings Bank, Roche Bros and TD Bank.

Donations are still being accepted and a check can be made out to "Town of Acton" and mailed to Jana Cataldo, 9 Greenwood Lane, Acton, MA 01720.