JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Randolph Elementary School students had more to celebrate than the end of school this week.
More than 600 children packed the school’s gymnasium for an assembly on May 25, the day before the last day of school, and learned their playground will look different when they return to classes three months from now.
And it was all due to the luck of the draw.
Thanks to an entry drawn at random, Randolph Elementary was one of three schools nationwide that were grand prize winners of the Healthy Playground Makeover Sweepstakes sponsored by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission of reducing childhood obesity, and Discovery Education, a provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms.
Randolph Elementary, the first-ever winner in a category for schools serving the children of active-duty military members, won a playscape valued at $30,000, $15,000 in cash and $15,000 in sports gear.
“I was in complete shock when I first heard the news that we had won the sweepstakes,” said Allana Hemenway, Randolph Elementary principal. “What are the odds of that happening?”
PTO president Mariefe Cahanding was helping in the front office in late April and took the phone call that resulted in the lottery-winning moment.
“After she gave me the exciting news, the look on her face made me realize she was not teasing about this amazing win,” Hemenway said. “We both just stood and stared at each other for a moment and then we both started to scream and jump up and down.”
The only catch was they had to keep the news a secret until the formal announcement was made a few weeks later. They decided to keep the secret from students even longer, until the May 25 assembly, so they could surprise them with the news. It was worth the wait, because the announcement brought thunderous applause.
Hemenway said the thought of entering the playground makeover sweepstakes came to her when she was talking to a parent about the school’s playground and remembered an email she had received about the contest.
She and the parent sprang into action, sending fliers and emails to parents, teachers and staff members, some of whom submitted entries on a daily basis. Posters also announced the sweepstakes.
The winning entry came from Nora McKay, the mother of Jack, a kindergarten student.
“I entered the contest every day,” said McKay, who was a special guest at the assembly. “Mrs. Hemenway called me and I couldn’t believe the news. Then I had to keep it a secret for nearly a month.”
McKay said she could not be happier for the children who will benefit from the playground makeover.
“It’s our first year here,” she said. “I hope Jack will be able to enjoy it for a couple of years.”
Hemenway said the new playscape will update the school’s playground.
“We still have equipment from the ‘50s,” she said. “This is really going to help.”
Susan Ralston, senior adviser for Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, said this year’s sweepstakes drew more than 600,000 entries for all three categories. This year marked the first time a grand prize was reserved specifically for schools on military installations.
“The foundation has a great relationship with the military,” she said. “Because of the national problem of childhood obesity, the military has a strategic interest in making sure our children are healthy.”
The sweepstakes is an annual incentive program of the foundation’s Together Counts, a comprehensive education initiative designed to encourage students to live active and healthy lives.