Hopkins elementary school debuts fully accessible playground: "There are good people in this world"
HOPKINS, Minn. — Everywhere you look at Glen Lake Elementary School in Hopkins, Minnesota, love is in the air because of what is now on the ground.
"There's just a ton of things to do and I think it's really cool," eighth grader John Buettner, who uses a wheelchair, said. "The fact they were able to do all this is just amazing."
Buettner is referring to his friends — students who do not use wheelchairs.
"John is one of my really good friends, and there's kids at this school that are in wheelchairs and they couldn't play on the old playground. They were just sitting on the side, watching other kids play. And we just looked out the window one day and talked to Ms. Julien and said, 'We should make this playground accessible.'" eighth grader David Martin said.
Students say they cold-called local businesses, went door-to-door knocking, handed out fliers and did a coin drive.
Their persistence paid off big. Their original goal was to get a swing for $35,000 — but they raised $1 million for an entirely new playground, bringing the teacher who fueled them to tears.
"And it's just so fun that students take initiative on something they want to fix and their dream and using their voices for good. And a lot of adults were willing to go along, and what it created — something very special," Betsy Julien said.
Recently, those good people came back to their old elementary school to see the fruits of their labor.
"Just to see how much a non-wheelchair user or a non-disabled person actually does care, it's just really reassuring that there are good people in this world," Buettner said.
Miss Sher teaches kids with disabilities. She watched in wonder as the kids checked out the playground.
"Our children at Glen Lake believe, regardless of disability, they believe they belong together and the playground is just a phenomenal tool to just enhance that," Sher said. "This is about more than play, it's about legitimately becoming friends. And years from now, when they run into someone with multiple disabilities, they realize, 'I don't have to be afraid.' There's adults who don't know that. They are learning lessons that will last a lifetime."
They continue to have each other's backs.
"He has a wheelchair but other than that, he's just a normal kid. He deserves to play too," Martin said.
It is a million-dollar dream come true.