Fund-raiser pulls in $5,200 for new CAES playground, fire equipment

By Cynthia Prairie
©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

The Chester-Andover Elementary School Parent-Teacher Group raised more than $5,200 on Saturday night during its free community supper and silent auction event held at the school.  Of the total, $3,700 becomes the fundraising base for a new playground and $1,500 will go to the Chester Fire Department for three sets of extraction gear.

The free community meal, which attracted about 200 people, featured a dinner of ham, fresh broccoli, potato salad, mixed fruit and green salads as well as ice cream desserts. Black River Produce donated one-third of the meal and the PTG picked up the tab for the

rest, totaling about $1,100.  Sean Buchanan, BRP president and a Chester resident, acted as chef.

Chris Meyer, who along with Christine Anderson, are heading up the playground fund-raising efforts,  said that the success of the silent auction could likely be attributable to the number of “experiential items” that were for sale, one of which was a child’s chance to be CAES principal for a day. It went to the Ryan family of Andover for $600. Other hot items were breakfasts with a firefighter and a police officer.

Meyer said they still have their eyes on raising $100,000 to replace the 25-year-old wooden structure. In an interview on Tuesday, he said that “probably most of that will come from grants.” To help that along, a grant writing committee is being set up.

Meyer also said that his group is planning to hold a public meeting to answer any questions and address any concerns that folks have concerning both the old structure and the new playground.

As for other fundraisers, the group is considering a cocktail party and dinner with a silent auction for next year. Most immediately:

Friday, May 6, daylong, Fill the Floor
Each CAES class will be given space on the floor of the cafeteria to fill with coins. Lunches will be held in the classrooms that day. The class that fills the most space wins a pizza party.  Businesses and individuals are encouraged to participate by donating and dropping off rolls and jars of coins at the school. Those funds will then be divided evenly among the classes.

Ongoing: Pennies for the Playground
Containers have been placed around Chester to take donations of coins, dollars and checks.

If you’d like to donate, checks should be made out to CAES PTG, with playground fund in the memo line. They can be mailed or dropped off at the school, 72 Main St. in Chester, 05143. For more information, contact Meyer at 802-342-3139.