Rally celebrates successful read-a-thon to build new playground
JANUARY 23, 2009 -- State Senator Dave Syverson and Rockford Alderman Nancy Johnson joined students at Whitehead Elementary School for a rally at 10 a.m. today to celebrate the raising of $30,000 in private funds to build a new playground. The rally featured songs, balloons, pizza and prizes including tickets to see the Rockford IceHogs play hockey.
 Syverson and Johnson, as co-chairmen of the playground initiative, challenged Whitehead students last fall that if through the read-a-thon they matched $10,000 in funds raised by the school PTO, the two public officials would help fund the balance of $10,000. Partners in the project include the Rockford Park District, Flinn Middle School Rotary Club and Kids Around the World.
"Thanks to the outpouring of support from the Whitehead parents and students, local businesses, students from Flinn, and others, the funds needed to complete this playground were raised ahead of schedule," Syverson said. "Students read a record number of books to meet their financial goal. The unique way in which this playground is being privately financed could become a model for how to fund other projects in the Rockford area."
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Thomas Schmitt congratulated students for reading more than 5,000 books outside of class time and thanked Syverson for his leadership and his commitment of personal funds to school initiatives over several years. Most recently, Syverson assisted in building a new playground at Jackson Elementary School by issuing a similar reading challenge and offering a financial match.
Top readers earned trips to visit Syverson in Springfield at Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey at City Hall. Morrissey appeared at the rally along with Rockford School Board President Nancy Kalchbrenner and School Board member David Kelley. |
