Elementary students in the Union Public School District will have a new playground this fall thanks to a nearly $400,000 grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation.
The funds, which will be given to the Union Yellowjacket Foundation, will be used to purchase and install 24 pieces of playground equipment that will be installed in a new 5,380 square-foot area with a synthetic grass surface behind the elementary and high school cafeteria and will extend onto property owned by the district just off Peachtree Street.
Superintendent Tyler Hansford said he is excited that the district was able to obtain the grant for the students. He credits the success of landing the grant to outgoing principal Lori Wilcher, who crafted a grant stating that the new playground grant would allow children to have a more play time and would keep the students healthier.
“We had applied for a $25,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield grant, and we found out that we had been rejected,” Hansford said. “But we received a call about this other playground grant for which we should apply. I really like the approach Dr. Wilcher took an approach that if we had more playground area and more equipment, it would allow more time for the students to play. That must have helped us land this grant.”
Wilcher said she is thankful for the grant that will bring joy to the future students at Union Elementary School.
“As I think about the joy this playground will bring to students for years to come, it makes my heart full, I am so thankful for the opportunity we have through the generosity of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation,” Wilcher said in a statement released by the school district. “Our new playground will provide a new recess playground and allow for a safe space for more outdoor organized play during PE. The connection between play and school success is well documented in the research. Play leads to physical, social, emotional and intellectual wellbeing. Play helps children learn to share, problem solve, work in groups and resolve conflict.”
Incoming Principal Hannah Wren said she is grateful for those who helped obtain the grant to provide a new playground experience to the students.
“Union Elementary strives to accommodate the whole child, and productive play is an integral component in developing a child’s cognitive, social, and physical skills,” Wren said. “The new playground equipment will provide abundant opportunities to support student needs through positive play experiences. I can’t wait to watch our Little Jackets thrive!”
Hansford said much of the equipment is at ground level or handicap accessible to make it easier for all students to enjoy the playground area.
“This will be much more accessible for all children to use it and play on it,” Hansford said. “With having the rubber mulch and the turf on top of it, it will require almost no maintenance. And because we are using turf, it should be a very safe to play on.”
Eugenia King, the Foundation’s Health and Fitness Coordinator of BCBS, said the foundation is proud to provide spacious school playgrounds where students can engage in active play outside of the classroom.
“The playground structures are designed for physical activities such as climbing, crawling, jumping and running to improve balance, flexibility and cardiovascular health while promoting creativity and building social skills,” King said.
