Neb. Preschoolers Get New Playspace

Employees of Exmark Lawn Equipment took on a sweltering July day in Adams, Neb., to install new play equipment for a local pre-school program.

The youngest residents of the village of Adams, Nebraska (population: under 600) have a new playground, thanks to a donation from Exmark Lawn Equipment and some help from their employees.

Until recently, children 2 to 5 years old in a pre-school program had to walk about two city blocks to the elementary school playground, where the equipment was rated for 5- to 12-year-olds and not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Freeman School District purchased property closer to the preschool program, and Exmark’s $25,000 donation supplied a play structure, surface, cement path and fence. Six volunteers braved blistering temperatures July 3 to install the equipment, which is rated for 2- to 5-year-olds and is ADA compliant.

Each year, the lawn equipment company’s Community Giving Committee donates money for projects in the areas where its employees live and work. The committee wanted the donations to reach beyond Beatrice city limits, so this year they looked to Adam’s Freeman School District. While most Exmark employees live in Beatrice, the second highest number of employees resides in the Freeman School District.