LAWRENCE: Not just child’s play as youngsters raise $500 at intermediate school

Playground equipment fundraising teaches students lessons about community

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
With a snip of the scissors, Kara Fruscione and Olivia Wagner cut a yellow ribbon and officially “opened” a new set of playground bars at the Lawrence Intermediate School Tuesday morning.
    Kara and Olivia, who are students in Jackie Massina’s fifth-grade class, spearheaded the drive to replace an old set of bars that had been removed by the Lawrence Township Public Works Department in October 2008. The bars were in poor condition.
    The girls were upset and circulated a petition that sought replacement of the bars. They gave the petition — signed by 86 students — to Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun. Olivia also wrote to then-Mayor Mark Holmes to express the students’ disappointment.
    Township officials were not opposed to replacing the equipment, but it would cost about $2,000. Seizing the moment, they replied the township would match the amount of money the students raised toward the cost of the bars.
    Over the next few weeks, Kara and Olivia raised $500 toward the cost of the replacement bars. They asked their classmates to donate spare change and placed a piggybank in the school lunchroom.
    The Lawrence Intermediate School Parent Teacher Organization chipped in $500, and Lawrence Township matched the combined $1,000 from the students and the PTO. The township purchased the new bars and installed them last week while school was closed for spring break.
    Tuesday morning, Mayor Pam Mount and Councilman Greg Puliti visited LIS, along with Mr. Krawczun and Superintendent of Recreation Steven Groeger. The township officials spoke to Ms. Massina’s class before accompanying Kara and Olivia outside to the new bars.
    Mayor Mount told Kara and Olivia and their classmates that the Township Council often hears requests from residents for help with problems. The residents want the township to spend money on a project, but that money comes from the property taxes that residents pay — and sometimes, there isn’t enough money, she said.
    “Sometimes, people don’t want to pay more taxes,” Mayor Mount said.
    Sometimes, the people who use the park or playground volunteer to pay extra money — just like the LIS students did — because it is their project, she said.
    Mr. Puliti, who served on the township’s Recreation Advisory Committee, told the students Lawrence and Hopewell townships and Pennington and Hopewell boroughs have joined forces to pay for the development of the former Twin Pines Airport into several athletic fields that would be shared by those residents.
    “You are ahead of the curve,” Mr. Puliti told the students. “All of our future plans are looking to have the whole community (come together).”
    LIS Upper School Principal Jon Dauber praised all of the students and told them they would be proud of what they accomplished when they look back several years from today.
    “You can change things even if you are fifth-graders,” Mr. Dauber said. “Don’t ever think that because you are children, you can’t help. Put your voice out there and let the government hear what you have to say. You have the right to do that.”