Recess should be a time for a kid to exercise, explore and have fun with friends — but at Litchfield Elementary School, playground offerings are limited. 

Students from third to fifth grade currently have the option of spending their time on the basketball courts or a large soccer field — unshaded structures that become almost unusable during the hot summer months, and inaccessibly year-round for some students with special needs. 

Now, Litchfield Elementary School is in the drawing for Kiwanis International’s Legacy of Play 2022 contest that will provide a $25,000 grant for play structures to one deserving winner. 

If LES wins the grant, it will go toward the school’s $100,000 goal, of which $75,000 has already been raised by the PTSA and the greater Litchfield community. 

“A playground encourages each student to engage in physical activity during recess. Play areas help kids build their gross motor skills, but they also benefit students' overall physical health,” according to LES’ legacy of Play submission. 

“It is hard for them to experience exercise and social time when their play options are limited and hot.”

The contest winner will be announced Oct. 13, 2022. In the meantime, community members can vote for Litchfield Elementary by selecting the “heart” button and providing an email address when prompted at kiwanis.org.