By Jesse Wood
Last week, the Parent/Teacher Organization for Hardin Park Elementary School asked the Watauga County Board of Commissioners for grading services and dirt hauling for the construction of a new playground at the school in Boone.
The organization has been raising money for nearly 10 years to build a new playground that would be handicap accessible and now the grading is expected to begin and be finished before winter sets in.
Brian Johnson of the PTO presented before the board last Tuesday and told the commissioners that he expected one or two weeks of grading. The commissioners agreed to allow county forces and equipment on the project and have maintenance staff haul needed dirt from the county-owned landfill to the site of the new playground.
In response to a question about the “long-term view” from Commissioner Billy Kennedy, Watauga County Schools Supt. Scott Elliott said that school officials did do due diligence in looking at sites for the new playground on the 18-acre site.
Elliott said that the selected spot is “the best place to locate the playground” currently and is still an ideal spot with future expansion or redevelopment of Hardin Park Elementary School in the future.
More than $131,000 has been raised for the new playground.
Johnson told commissioners that one child, who went all the way through Hardin Park beginning with Pre-K and is now moving on to Watauga High School, wasn’t able to enjoy the playground during his or her time at Hardin Park Elementary School.
In a 2014 fundraiser video, a young girl in a wheel chair watches all the other children play as another girl walks up and says, “I wish you could play with us.” An overdub voice then is heard saying: “For 10 years, he’s been at Hardin Park and for ten years he has not been able to ever go out on the playground with his peers. He’s always had to sit on the sideline and watch.”
The next fundraising event takes place at Barberitos, located at 2575 N.C. 105 in Boone, on Friday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. A flyer on Hardin Park Elementary School’s website notes that 15 percent of sales will be donated and then matched.
See conceptual drawings attached and funding levels and a list of donors below:
- Child’s Play ($10-24.99)
- Pretend ($25-100)
- Explore ($100.-499.99)
- Imagine (500-999.99)
- Discover ($1000-9999.99)
- Challenge ($10,000 and Up)
A donation to the playground in honor of your teacher makes a wonderful gift! Thank you for your continued support with our fundraising efforts. We have currently raised $131,415.94!
Child’s Play ($10.00 – $24.99)
- Aidan & Drew Fankhauser
- Annie, Joey, & Maggie Veno
- Kyleigh Ford
- Dalton Adams
- Mary Rich
- Maya Johnston
- Madelyn Ellis
- Keith Flowers
- Olivia Moreno
- Rosemary Mock
- Sam Vandenberg
- Claire McCoy
- Timothy & Micah Rushing
- Steven Garcia-Martinez
- Dalton Coffey
- Elizabeth Rivera Alcaraz
- Lydia Rothrock
- Brielynn Myers
- Nhu Huynh
- Sarahi Cervantes Aguilar
- Frank Veno
- Madison & Caleb Ogden
- Christopher Heckle
- Luo Jing
- Nathan Bishop
- Landan & Cassie Pennington
- Nate & Elizabeth Weigl
- Sarahi Cervantes Aquilar
- Claudia Cervantes
- Robin, Clair and Buck
- Willie Hayworth
- Jennifer Hayward
- Jessica Smith
- Maddie Greene and Friends
Pretend ($25.00 – $99.99)
- Jack & Ben White
- Bailey & Lyndsey Whitehead-Price
- Clyde Morton
- The Bertrand Family
- Denise Lockett
- Davis Hunt
- Holden Hartzog
- Mattie & Katie Mac Greene
- Alexandra Newmark
- Rebecca & Gwendolyn Anderson
- Hardin Park Social Committee
- Jonathan Lutabingwa
- Garrett Bagley
- Melissa Isaacs
- Antonio Scherlen
- Cody Talton
- The Haywood Family
- Charlotte Crees
- Jennifer Nystrom
- Jeffrey & Ryan Collier
- Sandy Brubaker
- Hannah Zimmerman
- The Mellon Family
- Aidan, Lindsey, & Nora Williams
- Becca & Kate Yoblinski
- Ketchel Carey
- Wanda Henries
- Cyenna, Carolina, & Brianna Davidson
- Sam & Matthew Taubman
- Corey, Zachary & Laurel West
- Emma Monroe
- Hugh & Mamie Morton
- Greg & Claudine Lovins
- Madelyn & Sullivan Trexler
- Trey & Courtney Morrison
- Chanel Frisco
- Claudia Hooker
- Scot and Stephanie Sloan
- Everett Gryder
- Sweet Frog
- Tracie Salinas
- James and Molly Russell
- Mack Brown Inc.
- Susan McCracken
- Oscar Knight
- Eleanor Dundon
- Alan and Aaron Mutio
- Becky & Joel Moretz
- Alan & Sonya Burchell
- Fulton Lovin
- Julianne Bagley
- Jesse Whitaker
- The Buzan Family
- Katie and Herman van Werkhoven
- Noah van Werkhoven
- Sofia Wells
- Jazmine Cowan and the Cowan Family
Explore ($100.00 – $499.99)
- Luke & Eric Hunter
- Lisa Cottom
- Mary Smalling
- Jack, Sam & Will Byassee
- Katie Mac & Alice Knight
- Cailey Haas
- Curtis Smalling
- James & Carol Mellon
- Eleanor Dundon
- Hunan Chinese Restaurant
- Laura and David Pace
- Sharon Whalen
- Cornerstone Summit Church in honor of Mrs. Smalling
- Caleb Mutio
- Jerry Cook – A-1 Vacuum Solutions LLC
- The Order of Omega Greek Honor Society-ASU
- Marshall Ashcraft
- Mike & Jane Campbell
Imagine ($500.00 – $999.99)
- The Dean Family
- Bryan and Michaelle Haas & Family
Discover ($1,000.00 – $9999.99)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Hardin Park PTO
- Los Arcoiris Mexican Restaurant
- Jason & Mitzi Triplett
- Boone Service League
- Phil & Paula Smalling (In honor of Hardin Park’s support staff)
- Hardin Creek Timber Frame & Millwork
- Wells Fargo
- Jersey Mike’s
Challenge ($10,000.00 and Up)
- Daniel Kilgore
A thanks to all of the students, parents and staff that placed an “In Honor” donation to help fund our new Monkey Land Playground was listed on the Hardin Park Elementary School website and is listed below:
______________________________________________
Donated By: In Honor Of:
Mary Smalling Hardin Park Faculty & Staff
Bailey Whitehead-Price Mrs. Roten
Lyndsey Whitehead-Price Ms. Beckley
Clyde Morton Mrs. Hall
Samantha Bertrand Mrs. Eberle
Nathaniel Honea Mrs. Presnell-Greene
Griffin Honea Mrs. Hayes
Davis Hunt Mrs. Hyler
Aiden Fankhauser Mrs. Shaw & Mrs. McCourry
Drew Fankhauser Mrs. Dallas & Ms. Greene
Holden Hartzog Mrs. Huffman, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Harvey, Mr. Larick
Luke Hunter Mrs. Hyler
Eric Hunter Mrs. Mast-Herring, Mrs. Huffman, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Harvey, & Mr. Larick
Anna Veno Mrs. Freeman
Joey & Maggie Veno Mrs. Hall
Kati Mac Greene Mrs. Myers & Mrs. Shields
Mattie Greene Mrs. Welsh & Mrs. Bennett
Alexandra Newmark Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Isaacs, Mrs. Smalling
Gwendolyn Anderson Mrs. Krause, Mrs. Cottrell
Rebecca Anderson Mrs. Roten, Ms. Saunders, Mrs. Mohr, Mrs. Rothrock
Kyleigh Ford Mrs. Varipapa & Mrs. Eppley
Dalton Adams Mr. Felker, Mr. Hopkins, Mrs. Mast-Herring, Mr. Eggers, & Mr. Pyles
Jonathan Lutabingwa Mrs. Hall
Garrett Bagley Mrs. Blackburn
Melissa Isaacs Hardin Park Administrators & Office Staff
Antonio Scherlen Mrs. Harvey, Mrs. Huffman, Mrs. Ward, Mr. Larick
Mary Rich Hardin Park Administrators
Maya Johnston Mrs. Nash & Mrs. Gilbert
Ann Mellon Mrs. Shaw
Mark Mellon Mrs. Lawrence & Mrs. Rothrock
Patrick Mellon Mrs. Blakeley & Mrs. West
Aidan, Lindsey & Nora Williams Mr. Safferstone & Mr. Selle
Aidan Williams Mrs. Huffman, Mrs Ward, Mrs. Harvey and Mr. Larick
Lindsey Williams Mrs. Beckley
Nora Williams Mrs. Lentz
Becca & Kate Yoblinski Mr. Hiatt, Mrs. Smith, & Mrs. Hayes
Becca Yoblinski Mr. Hiatt, Mrs. Smith, & Mrs. Hayes
Katie Yoblinski Mrs. Nash & Mrs. Gilbert
Ketchel Carey Mr. Hiatt, Mrs. Smith & Mrs. Hayes
Wanda Henries Office Staff
Brianna Davidson Mr. Larick, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Huffman & Mrs. Harvey
Carolina Davidson Mrs. Saunders
Sienna Davidson Mrs. Blackburn
Cailey Haas Mr. Hiatt, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Hayes and all Exploratory Teachers
Claire McCoy Mr. Hiatt, Mrs. Smith, & Mrs. Hayes
Timothy Rushin Mrs. Roten
Micah Rushin Mrs. Lentz
Sam & Matthew Taubman Mrs. Isaacs, Mrs. Smalling, Mrs. Allain, Mrs. Huffman, Mr. Larick, Mrs. Ward, & Mrs. Harvey
Zachary West Mr. Hiatt, Mrs. Smith, & Mrs. Hayes
Corey West Mr. Felker, Mr. Eggers, Mr. Pyles, & Mr. Hopkins
Laurel West Mrs. Shaw
Cody Talton Mrs. Blackburn
Everett Hayward Mrs. McCourry
Griffin Hayward Mrs. Lawrence
Charlotte Crees Mrs. Dallas & Ms. Greene
Madelyn Ellis Mrs. Hall
Sam Nystrom Mrs. Blakeley, Mrs. Allain, Mrs. West, Mrs. McCourry & Mrs. Dees
Jeffrey Collier Mrs. Shields
Ryan Collier Mrs. Blakeley
Kaylee Cottom Mrs. Huffman, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Harvey & Mr. Larick
Lauren Cottom Mrs. Brubaker, Mrs. Roten, Mrs. Saunders & Mrs. Mohr
Keigh Flowers Hardin Park Administrators & Office Staff
Mary Smalling Hardin Park Students
Olivia Marino Mrs. Heckle & Mrs. Hyler
John Byassee Mrs. James
Sam Byassee Mrs. Shaw
Will Byassee Mrs. Blackburn
Rosemary Mock Hardin Park Office Staff
Sam Vandenberg Mrs. Krause
Ben White Mrs. Nash, Mrs. Cottrell & Mrs. Krause
Jack White Mrs. McCourry & Mrs. Rothrock
Alice Knight Mrs. Mohr, Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. Brubaker & Mrs. Roten
Katie Mac Knight Mrs. Huffman, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Harvey & Mr. Larick
Sandy Brubaker Hardin Park Administrators & Office Staff
Hannah Zimmerman Mr. Felker, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Eggers & Mr. Pyles
Emma Monroe Mrs. Scott Steven Garcia-Martinez Mrs. Lentz Dalton Coffey Mrs. Hall Elizabeth Rivera-Alvarez Mrs. Shaw Eleanor Dundon Mrs. Shaw Los Arcois Hardin Park School Eleanor Richardson Mrs. Lawrence
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