The grounds at Millgrove Elementary School are special - both to the students who attend classes there, and to the community around it.
The Strabane Optimists recently stepped up with a $1,000 donation to repair the play structure on the rural 5th Concession West school property. And while the cheque was presented to principal Priscilla Mochrie quietly, the contribution speaks volumes.
"The whole outdoor space is a true extension to the learning here, and the play structure is a part of that," said Mochrie. "The community really respects the structure both during school hours and outside of school hours."
It also has special significance, she added.
"The unit honours a wife and mother of the Millgrove community," said Mochrie. "Her name was Sarah Small. She was a really active member of our school council and a regular volunteer at the school with her children."
Small passed away in 2013, and her family made a donation to the school in 2014 in her memory. The structure was installed and unveiled on Mother's Day 2015.
"It's a beautiful family connection, which I think it adds to the reason why it’s so well loved in the community," said Mochrie. "It makes sense to maintain the structure for so many reasons."
The structure is inspected annually; the most recent inspection revealed a crack in the bottom part of the slide. The cost to fix it, says Mochrie, was $1,500. Turning to the Strabane Optimists, who are focused on youth projects, was a logical solution.
"The Optimist Club has always contributed to our traditional dinner and skate which happens in December, and they’re just always available to us," said Mochrie, noting the service group also pitches in at the school's open houses and meet the teacher events, and is always looking for ways to support local children.
"It made sense that when this unit needed a bit of an update, we approached the Optimist Club. They were ecstatic to give us the $1,000 because they know that every kid at Millgrove enjoys that structure," said Mochrie.
The principal notes that the school council is very active - it has 25 members, which is huge for a JK-Grade 5 school with a student population of 170 pupils - and careful to make sure donations are used to their fullest impact.
"You want to really make sure that when people are being generous that all of the children are reaping the benefits," she said.
