Lincoln inclusive playground fundraising getsa boost

HIBBING—Anyone wanting to help build a new inclusive playground at the Lincoln Middle School now has an opportunity to double their impact.

An anonymous donor has stepped up and is matching up to $40,000 in donations made to the Lincoln PTO Playground project through December 15.

“We are thrilled,” Jessica Whitney, who along with Kayla Hintz co-chairs the Playground Committee told the Mesabi Tribune. “This means every dollar you give will be doubled, and bring us closer to making this inclusive playground a reality for our kids.”

In order to meet the timeline for a summer 2025 installation, the playground equipment needs to be ordered by December of this year.

The total project is around $562,000 and the amount needed to place the order is $392,000, Whitney noted. There will be time after the December deadline to raise the remainder of funds needed to cover the cost of ground preparation and installation, she added.

The committee has raised about $311,000 so far, and has also applied for a number of grants.

The current playground was built in 2004, with limited funding available, according to Jeri Ann Gabardi, a member of the Hibbing PTO and special education teacher. At that time the district was consolidating schools due to decreasing enrollment, and the student population has changed from a fourth to sixth grade school to a third to sixth grade school.

Since that time, the school district has undergone a reconfiguration of its buildings as a cost saving measure. This fall the Lincoln became a fourth through seventh grade school.

The new playground addresses a shortage of playground equipment at the school, while offering modern adaptive playground equipment.

“Our mission is to build an inclusive playground that is welcoming to all children and families,” Gabardi told the school board at a meeting earlier this year.

The committee is looking at a number of fundraising options, and this past summer held a carnival fundraiser that was well received by the public.

The Lincoln PTO is a nonprofit organization. The inclusive playground project is supported in part by the Department of Human Services—Disability Services Division.

Anyone who would like to help out can make a donation through Venmo: @ LincolnPTO701, PayPal: http://paypal.me/lincolnptohibbing, or you can send monetary donations to Lincoln PTO at 1114 E 23rd St. Hibbing, MN 55746.