Children will soon have a new playground at Sawyer Elementary School in Sturgeon Bay, but Principal Katie DeVillers says there is still plenty of work to do before then.

Sawyer Elementary is raising more than $540,000 to replace its playground, which dates back more than 20 years. Sunrise Elementary School replaced its playground through a similar fundraising effort, hosting a grand opening for the space last October.

Much like Sunrise Elementary’s new playground, Sawyer’s will feature new equipment and a turf surface to allow children of all abilities to play together. Thanks to the generosity of the community and the hard work of students and their families, approximately $417,000 has been raised.

DeVillers is excited about the progress that has been made as families begin several fundraisers to help close the gap even further.

If you cannot track down a Sawyer Elementary student to support through one of the fundraisers, DeVillers says you can click this link to donate directly. With assistance from the city, she hopes the school will be able to break ground on the new playground sometime early next year.