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homerhorizon.com NEWS
the Homer Horizon | May 18, 2017 | 3
Zachary’s Red Barn the site of Blue Jeans Ball
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Though blue jeans were
not a strict requirement,
many in attendance came
wearing their finest or favorite
pair of denim.
On Saturday, May 13, the
Goodings Grove School Parent
Teacher Organization
hosted its Blue Jeans Ball
fundraiser at Zachary’s Red
Barn at Konow’s Corn Maze.
The event was adults-only,
but it was all about the children,
as the proceeds from
the night went straight towards
an ongoing mission
to build a new playground at
the school.
Safety and inclusion are
the primary motivations in
the PTO’s quest to construct
updated play equipment by
June 2018.
Anna Faron, of Homer Glen, looks at a design of the new
Goodings Grove playground Saturday, May 13, at the Blue
Jeans Ball at Zachary’s Red Barn in Homer Glen.
Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
“The current equipment
doesn’t promote a lot of play
or house a lot of children,”
explained Kerrie Heeney,
PTO vice president.
Currently, only one class
can play at the playground
at a time, and teachers have
to alternate when each grade
can use the playground at
recess. The new design is
set to feature several engaging
elements, including
climbing obstacles, slides,
bridges and much more
while meeting current ADA
and safety requirements.
“We’re excited about the
whole thing because it can
house a lot of kids, and the
kids are going to be excited
about that,” Heeney said.
“There are baseball fields
at the school, so the playground
is also used all summer
long, and it’s used by the
neighboring subdivisions, so
those kids will get so much
use out of it.”
Goodings Grove parents
and Blue Jeans Ball attendees
Tracey Moran and Renee
Shutay are looking forward
to the new playground because
it will be able to accommodate
so many more
children.
“I know that the kids
would really love to have a
nice, safe, clean, big playground,”
Shutay said.
Moran is hoping that the
new equipment will also engage
older children.
“There’s not many parks
near us, so it would be perfect
for them to be able to
ride the bike trail back there
and meet up with kids and
hangout at a nice new updated
park that is in Homer,”
she said.
Along with raising money
to help the PTO reach its ultimate
goal of $170,000 by
selling more than 150 admission
tickets to the Blue
Jeans Ball, organizers also
offered a raffle full of prizes
donated by local businesses
and one-of-a-kind items
made by Goodings Grove
students. Money generated
from $5 mechanical bull
rides also went towards the
playground project.
While at the Blue Jeans
Ball, guests enjoyed catered
food from Papa Joe’s Italian
Restaurant and live music by
local rock band 4CAST, as
well.
The Goodings Grove PTO
previously hosted a fundraising
craft fair, and its
members plan to organize a
spell-a-thon later in the fall
to generate additional money
for the project.
“These women are nonstop
working from the beginning
of the year through
now with every event, and
it’s always been top-notch
and successful,” said the
Please see jeans, 5
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