Pint-sized solidarity

Pre-schoolers collect and donate coins for all-inclusive playground project

It all began with a verse in the Bible and a group of little kids with a big heart.

Last December, some of the youngest children at the Brite Beginnings Pre-School and Day Care were learning about what the Bible said about the importance of helping others. Such was the impact in their minds of the words on Ephesians 4:32, that they decided to look for a cause to support.

Enter the "A Park For Everyone" project, focused on bringing to Moses Lake a playground that is fully accessible to able-bodied children and children with disabilities alike.

"We saw the article on the paper about it, saw Ashley's picture on it, and we decided that that was what we wanted to do," said Sandy Rodriguez, the pre-schoolers' teacher.

Ashley is Ashley Dieringer, the 4-year-old girl suffering from a condition known as Adenosine Tri-Phosphate Deficiency Syndrome, which limits her mobility and her limb strength. At her age, she has become a poster-child of sorts for this project, which has gathered the support of the city of Moses Lake's parks department and the Noon Rotary Club.

Since December, the children's solidarity has raised an as of yet uncounted amount of money, but big enough to fill half of a water-cooler jug with coins and dollar bills, and has led these kids to unwittingly teach adults a lesson or two about unselfishness.

"A kid heard about this," Rodriguez said, "and he took half of the money he was saving for a trip to Disneyland and donated it." Another child, she said, started donating the money his grandma gave him for cleaning her house.

Spencer Grigg, director of the city's parks and rec department said that though there is no set dates for the construction of the playground, acts of kindness like these will have an impact on its success.

"It will set an example that might be a start of a whole movement of people following their lead," he said. "It will have a huge impact."