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School seeks funds for 'rock' wall

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



CHICOPEE Stefanik School Physical Education Instructor Jon Stogner said the children are "extremely excited" over the prospects of adding a traverse "rock" climbing wall to the school's gym.

A campaign to raise $7,000 for an indoor climbing wall for the Stefanik School has hit the $4,500 mark and now school officials have turned to the city's business community for the final push.

A letter was sent recently to a number of businesses asking $100 donations. Any business or individual making a donation of that amount or larger will have their names engraves in a plaque near the wall.

Principal Deborah Drugan explained to Reminder Publications that the school staff considered the addition of the climbing wall last year. She said that children love working with technology, such as computers, and enjoy arts, music and gym. She was looking for an additional feature to make school appealing to the students.

The goal is to finish the fund-raising campaign this summer so the wall can be installed for the next school year.

Drugan said the school's Parent Teacher Organization contributed $3,000 and that was followed by a series of fund-raisers that began in January.

Stogner said that although there will be similar look to the climbing wall to the ones on fitness centers or carnivals, there are also substantial differences. The proposed wall is made of plastic and is eight feet tall and 20 feet long. Although the children could climb up to the full eight-foot height, the idea is not to climb up, but to climb sideways.

This way kindergartners can get the same kind of work out as the older children get and they only have to climb a foot, Stogner explained.

The wall has different sized handholds that can create four levels of difficulty for climbers. No safety harnesses are needed as a four-inch thick safety mat cushions any climber's fall.

Besides a physical workout, the wall will be used for teaching the importance of teamwork, Stogner added.

If interested in making a contribution, contact Drugan at 594-3463.