Mic drop for Beattie playground
- Boundless Play Committee
- 53 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Beattie is a special place, and we CAN DO HARD THINGS! This week, every Beattie Elementary student will walk past three photos of a generic playground — mocked up in three different color themes — and cast a vote for their favorite. Because the kids should have a voice in how their playground looks.
Why are they doing this now, you ask?
Because for the second month in a row, we have some great news: Lincoln Public Schools has officially said our new playground equipment can be ordered this January, with installation planned for summer 2026. This is a huge step forward toward bringing an updated, accessible playground to Beattie.
Know we aren’t done fundraising yet. We still have about $90,000 left to raise to cover installation costs like concrete, site prep and labor. But we are deeply grateful for the generosity that has already come in since announcing the anonymous donor match of up to $100,000 through May 2026 for the Boundless Play, Boundless Impact campaign. Families have given $25, $50, $100 and $400. The Indian Village Neighborhood Association also contributed $500 at their mid-November meeting. Even the beloved Hi-Way Diner has chipped in $1,000 (who's eating there tonight?). Each donation moves us meaningfully closer to the finish line.
In the meantime, our Boundless Play committee has been hard at work:
We applied for multiple grants previously out of reach (earlier requirements demanded all dollars be spent within a year, and until now, we couldn’t guarantee we’d raise enough to qualify).
We sent 90 corporate sponsorship packets to neighborhood businesses and some of Lincoln’s largest employers.
We submitted a dozen corporate sponsorship requests through local business portals.
We continued planning for a spring auction.
We have begun organizing for Give to Lincoln Day — an effort we hope will be the final push toward our $90,000 goal.
It’s not too late to be part of the process. If you’d like to join us in planning or helping execute these final steps to make the Beattie playground a reality, send us an email here.
Final thoughts
When we first started this journey, we were told projects like this often take seven years to complete. We looked at that timeline and said, “Umm, let’s get it installed in summer 2026.” And just 14 months later, we’re on track to make it happen.
It hasn’t been easy. We’ve hit walls, felt discouraged, and worked through challenges we never expected. But every time it got tough, we came back to why we’re doing this. We’re building something that will serve Beattie kids for the next three or more decades. A space where every child can play, belong, and feel included. That belief is where we found hope and energy.
Thank you for helping us bring this dream to life. And because Beattie is a special place, and we can do hard things – Let’s finish strong!
