Children from the Tobey Elementary School in Michigan have come up with a great idea to help one student with cerebral palsy. Together with the school community, they are raising funds that will be used to build a playground for 5-year-old Hannah Cook.
It was fifth graders from Tobey Elementary who observed that Hannah Cook needed a special playground in the school. The kids said that they would always see the girl playing in the sandbox but she cannot enjoy the other facilities in the regular playground, Fox 17 reported.
Since she has cerebral palsy, Hannah Cook needs to wear leg braces and a walker. "She always has the aide of another teacher," student Carcel Tharge told the news outlet.
"So me and my friend Trevor felt kind of bad," he added. The kids thought they should do something for their schoolmate.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires public facilities to be designed for easy access for people with physical disabilities. Since the specifications and adjustments would be costly, it would be quite impossible to fit the construction into the school's budget, as is the case in many public schools in the United States.
The fifth graders, however, found another way to make this happen. Tobey Elementary principal Mike Barwegen said that the kids asked if they can come up with a fundraiser for an "all-inclusive" playground in the school. They then created a video and a Go Fund Me page for Hannah Cook, which has nearly reached the $20,000 goal, as of press time.
The Mighty reports that Hannah Cook hasn't been in school since September because she had to have leg surgery. But the little girl is expected to return in November, and by then, the students hope to surprise her with the new playground's features.
School mates describe Hannah Cook as "the sweetest, most compassionate 5-year-old girl you will ever meet." Watch the Tobey Elementary school kids' video about Hannah Cook's playground fundraiser below.
