On a recent school day, third graders in Chip Cash’s class at Sunny View Elementary headed out to play, just as generations of students have done at recess.
The playground awaiting them, though, looked nothing like what those past students enjoyed.
Sunny View completed work on a playground overhaul in August, capping a long-running effort involving the Sunny View PTO, first-grade teacher Brandi Roddy, Polk County Schools and local businesses.
For students, the result is a modern playground on which to climb, play and spend time together.
For the adults who helped make it happen, it’s a culmination of a project years in the making.
The Sunny View PTO had already been saving money toward replacing the school’s aging playground equipment when Roddy secured a $15,000 grant from the Gateway Wellness Foundation in December 2025.
That grant gave the project a major boost.
Polk County Schools provided the required matching funds, while the PTO committed to raise additional money to help cover the remaining costs.
Local companies also helped prepare the site, removing the old playground equipment and timbers before installation could begin.
By August, the new structure was in place and ready for students as the 2026-27 school year started.
The work, though, is not finished.
The PTO plans an October cleanup day with hopes of adding more mulch and freshening up the swings. The group will also hold its Christmas Bingo fundraiser on the first Friday in December, with proceeds going toward continued playground improvements.
The finished playground reflects the kind of project that can happen when several parts of a school community contribute – the PTO saving over time, Roddy pursuing outside funding, the district providing matching support and local businesses helping prepare the site.
And now, each school day, Sunny View students get to enjoy the result.
