DEH GAH GOT'IE/FORT PROVIDENCE - Students at Deh Gah School will have a new set of playground equipment to play on next year thanks to some dedicated fundraisers.

Between fundraising and donations the staff and students at the school in Fort Providence raised approximately $45,000 during the school year. At the beginning of the year the school's staff had decided all their fundraising efforts would be put towards purchasing new equipment for the school's yard.

Sisters Raynna, left, and Ryanna Sabourin play on the aging playground equipment at Deh Gah School that is scheduled to be replaced in time for the next school year. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The project was one educational assistant Teresa Vandell was eager to tackle. The idea of replacing the existing equipment has been on Vandell's mind for about five years.

"The least we could do for the kids is to have some nice equipment for them to play on," said Vandell, who is one of the fundraising organizers.

Two of the pieces of the existing playground equipment were installed in the past 10 years but the rest is between 20 and 30 years old. In addition to being old, some of the equipment is broken, she said.

The playground is an important feature for Fort Providence.

There's not a lot for young children to do outdoors in the community so the playground is well used, even outside of the school's hours, Vandell said.

The project also fit perfectly with the school's focus this year, which was on physical education.

The fundraising took a number of different forms.

Events included Friday lunches, collecting phonebooks for recycling, running a three-day canteen during a local hockey tournament and holding a sleepover at the school.

The fundraising was a team effort throughout the school, Vandell said.

"There's been a lot of student support for coming in for the lunches and helping out with the lunches," she said.

The school is purchasing the new equipment, which will include one play unit and one climbing apparatus, from Blue Imp Play Ideas, a Canadian company. The equipment, which comes with a price tag of approximately $60,000, is scheduled to arrive at the end of August.

Principal Lois Philipp said she's confident the school will be able to make up the funding shortfall in time. To save money community members will be asked to volunteer their time to help erect the new equipment with the assistance of a Blue Imp staff member.

The school's students already know what to expect from the new equipment. A poster showing the planned equipment was on displayed in one of the school's halls during the year.

"They're excited," said Philipp of the students.

Student Morgan Geddes, 11, said he's looking forward to playing on the new playground when it arrives.

"It will be awesome," he said.