They say it takes a village, and the Sanford village was out in full force on Saturday, October 14, at Carl J. Lamb Elementary as the school received its new playground equipment.
The equipment replaces the old playground, which had been used for over 30 years, and was delivered on Friday, October 13.
On Saturday, Carl J. Lamb staff, families, Parent-Teacher Association members, and a few school committee members all provided a helping hand to put together the new structure behind the elementary school.
"Everybody was just gushing," Carl J. Lamb Principal Sherri Barron said of the team effort. "We had Rotarians here, we had Kennebunk Savings Bank here. We had school committee members picking up shovels. It brought us together."
From leaf blowing to picking up trash to painting, shoveling, and mixing concrete, there was a role for everyone who came out on Saturday to assemble the new structure.
"There were even little kids working," Barron said. "It was awesome. It was just a really good day."
Carl J. Lamb's Parent-Teacher Association organized several fundraisers for the new playground, from bake sales to Color Fun Runs, Trick or Treat Halloween events and many more. The PTA has dedicated several years to fundraising for the new playground. The installation of the new playground on Saturday was helped by funds from the PTA and the school department.
"I think it's very evident to people outside of our school that Sanford is a tight-knit community, and people show up for our events, they show up to help," said Amy Boyce Sevigney, who is the co-president of Carl J. Lamb's PTA along with Lydia Lehoux. "We're really fortunate here to have that very supportive community."
The playground will eventually expand, with additional funding from the Sanford Legacy Foundation through the Gerard and Gertrude Genest Charitable Trust. Currently, the new structure features two slides, a rock climbing wall, rings, and a bell element at the bottom for students to indulge in their musical stylings, according to Lehoux. She said seeing the kids enjoy the new playground has been a rewarding experience.
"It's really exciting to have something new and fun for the kids, but also really safe and kind of keeping us more in line with the other schools with new playgrounds," Lehoux said. "When you see the kids playing, it just feels like happiness out there. I think the excitement is with the children too."