Mary Baudo sat on the floor surrounded by playground equipment catalogs, the pages filled with well-thumbed stickies. Design drawings from equipment companies Miracle and Playworld were strewn about. 

Baudo, head of the Parent/Teacher Organization for Boothbay Region Elementary School going on two years, is on a mission to make over the playground in back of the school. She and the PTO want to replace what's there with equipment that's fun and healthy for kids of all ages.

“Today's playgrounds are completely different. They're designed to be fun, but they also help kids develop flexibility, balance and strength,” said Baudo, who works in the fitness and health field.

What worked once isn’t working so well now. A trip to the BRES playground revealed a ledge-bound, bumpy hill thick with young trees. The top of the hill is level, with swings and a climbing station Facilities/Transportation Director Dave Benner estimated is at least 15 years old.

Down the hill and near the school, a basketball court teemed with players. A couple of kids raced around on the climbing station, and some were swinging, but many milled around, which is what happens, said Baudo.   

“Teachers keep the little kids off the station because it's too big and it's not safe for them. The older kids are too cool for it. The kids who are big enough to play on it get bored with it,” she said. 

Last spring, Baudo said, BRES staff and parents encouraged the PTO to look into buying new equipment. Baudo, who has a second-grader at the school, began to research possibilities. There are challenges, such as space and geology. The playground area bumps up against the playing fields, which will require some creative placement. The ledge under the site will make it hard to secure base pieces. “We can’t afford to drill too far down,” Baudo said. “We’re looking at equipment that doesn’t necessarily require that.”

It will cost about $50,000 to construct the playground the way the PTO imagines it. The equipment isn't cheap. Baudo pointed to one piece in a catalog priced at $6,500. 

The organization is using its imagination to help raise funds, hopefully before the school department's budget year ends in April 2017. One possibility involves winning a $30,000 grant. A website hosting an organization called Together Counts, which offers health and wellness tips for schools and home, is sponsoring a “Healthy Playground Makeover Sweepstakes.”

“If enough people click once a day until March 24, we have just as good a chance to earn the grant money as anybody. Why not try? Of course, we also welcome donations of any size,” said Baudo. 

Information on the sweepstakes can be found on the BRES Facebook page.