By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Parents and volunteers help build a playground with
used tires at Lanikai Elementary School.
Playground brings
community together
From sponsoring businesses
By Harold Morse
to volunteer constructors to
young designers, Lanikai gets into
the swing of building it
Star-BulletinA playground grows in Lanikai -- a monument to community togetherness and wanting to do right for the kids. Parents, volunteers and business sponsors are getting into the swing of it, wielding hammers and the like to install playground equipment at Lanikai Elementary School.
"The business community has been incredibly generous despite this trying economic climate," said Valerie Elwell, Parent-Teacher Association president. "We couldn't have built our playground without their support ... We're just overwhelmed at how generous our sponsors have been."
The project was planned with the guidance of Jimi Jolley, who has designed playgrounds at Aikahi Elementary, Ahuimanu, Castle Hospital and Bishop Museum.
His playgrounds utilize tires, lumber, plastic barrels and other recycled materials to build imaginative, student-designed play structures.
More than a playground is involved, said Donna Estomago, Lanikai Elementary principal. There aren't many places left where communities can play, she said.
"It's very significant that a community has come together to make a playground," she said.
The school motto is Kaohao, which means "joining together," she said. It was the name for the area before the developer called it Lanikai, she said. "The Kaohao represents the spirit of the school," she said. "I consider it community building."
She said the playground gives students a chance to use their imagination. "It's a place for families to come together and enjoy themselves," she said. "Some of the children worked side by side with their parents -- and they know that there's an awful lot of care."
By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
The barely-completed jungle gym gets a tryout from students
Rose Friedhem, left, Stefani Sheffield and Brian Ishikawa.
The last time the school got new playground equipment was more than 30 years ago.The new playground meets all safety standards and is accessible for those with special needs.
At least 100 volunteers have done huge amounts of work on weekends this month.
They've installed a big storm drain to be used as a tunnel, two large playhouses, three teeter-totters, two slides, a Tarzan swing, bridges, a turtle tire sculpture and retaining walls. There's also a cable stretched between two telephone poles with a pulley system so kids can zip from one side to the other.
Elwell, who has a daughter and son at the school, said inexperienced volunteers were paired with experienced construction workers for the work.
"This project has been wonderful for the community because it has brought all the families together," said Jamie Moody, who has two children at the school. "It's been so fun because we're out there working and sweating together ... The kids are ecstatic about this playground. They can't wait to play on it. The kids want to help build it."
