Kingsport City Schools, Andrew Johnson Elementary School, and the Andrew Johnson Elementary School PTO are asking the Kingsport community and regional friends of The Castle Playground to volunteer in the construction of the new Castle playground located on Johnson Elementary School property.
After a quarter-century, the iconic wooden structure, affectionately known as The Castle, built in 1990, reached the end of its expected life, and was demolished on December 21, 2018. The structure may be gone; but the memories made by the children and families of Kingsport and the Tri-Cities area are priceless and forever.
The new playground, sponsored by the Johnson Elementary PTO, a non-profit organization, was inspired by the ideas of current Johnson Elementary students with the guidance of PlaybyDesign. The vision is to rebuild a community funded, accessible, innovative playground for all children of Kingsport. Some of the features include a pirate ship, climbing wall, racing slides and lots of swings. The rendering can be found on castleofkingsport.com.
The new playground construction will take place from March 5-10, 2019. Whether you are a skilled craftsman or just wanting an opportunity to improve the community, you can help by becoming a volunteer. There are four ways in which you can help make the new Castle a reality: 1.) Volunteer - build the playground or serve meals/drinks, 2.) Donate - Supply materials and/or tools to build the playground, 3.) Sponsor - Lunch, dinner or snacks for the volunteers, and 4.) Financial Contribution - Purchase a personalized engraved wooden picket that will surround the playground. The PTO has attained 69 percent of their $275,000 total budget.
There are three (3) four-hour shifts to choose from. 1st Shift: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. (lunch provided); 2nd Shift: 12:30-4:30 p.m. (dinner provided); and 3rd Shift: 5-8:30 p.m. Please take note of the volunteer age requirements; you must be 14+ to participate and 18+ to build the playground.
For more information, to register as a volunteer, to supply materials/tools, or to reserve your personalized engraved wooden picket, visit castleofkingsport.com.
