What Will Build Day Be Like?

If you are curious as to what exactly might be happening in September on Build Day in Norton, please tune in this weekend to see what Build Day is like in a couple of other small communities.

St. Bride's, Newfoundland will be building a playground this Friday, June 1st:  http://ltbkfatimaacademy.blogspot.ca/

And Borden-Carleton, PEI will be building a playground on Saturday, June 2nd:
http://ltbkbordencarleton.blogspot.ca/

To watch the build and send words of encouragement, visit Let Them Be Kids webpage and click on the Live Broadcast icon on the left starting at 9am both days:
http://www.ltbk.ca/kids/

Norton Flea Market success

We would like to thank everyone who donated plants or baked goods to the Norton Community Playground table at last Saturday's Norton Flea Market at the Legion. It was a lovely day and a great success. Thank you to everyone who helped out!

We still have some plants left over for sale. Stop by Wonderland Child Care (1903 Route 121) to view the selection. $4 for a large plant and $2 for small.

Debly Enterprises big donation in kind

Debly Enterprises made a big donation in kind (worth $40,000) to take care of all the ground work at the playground this Summer so that we will be able to construct and assemble our playground in September!

Randy Charlton announcing the donation on behalf of Debly Enterprises

Placing our little climber on the fundraising slide

We're already at $45,000 on our way towards our goal of $250,000

Climb, buddy, climb! (We need a name for him).
Thank you to Shaw Signs for the slide fundraising meter.

$5000 from SACF

We received $5000 from the Sussex Area Community Foundation to go towards our new playground! We made the announcement at the community picnic we hosted last Friday evening at the Norton Elementary School.

The Big Cheque presentation by Donna Floyd and Julie Booth.

The children, the playground committee, and Donna Floyd and Julie Booth of the Sussex Area Community Foundation pose on the playground with the cheque during the Dot-Maucracy event..

Hip Hip Hooray!

Playground Design

The children of Norton will have the opportunity to help design the new playground tonight. Bring them to the Norton Elementary School from 6-8pm and they will have a chance to cast their vote.

There will be activities for the children and hot dogs on the barbecue so bring your favourite dish and we'll make a picnic out of this. We will also be presenting information about the progress that has been made thus far in the two weeks since we announced the LTBK award. And there will be a special unveiling, too.

The sun is shining and we have plenty of good news to share, so come out to the school and let's have a picnic!

Dot-Maucracy

This Friday at 6 o'clock in the evening you might smell something on the barbeque at Norton Elementary School. Oh yes! We'll be cooking hot dogs so make sure you bring something to go along with them because we're having a potluck picnic at the school to enjoy the lovely sunny weather.

And if you have any children, make sure you bring them with you so that they can vote on how they would like the new playground to look. We need design ideas because we will be building the new playground in 121 days!

So join us this Friday, May 25 at 6pm at the Norton Elementary School. We'll have plenty of information about the project and lots of positive news about what we will be able to accomplish as a community! The pieces are beginning to fall into place and we are excited and thrilled to think that by the end of September we will have a new and improved playground and a stronger community because of it!

Bingo on Thursday

Don't forget that on Thursday evenings there is Bingo at the Norton Legion. The doors open at 6pm and there are plenty of opportunities to win some money! Plus, a portion of the proceeds help towards building our new community playground. The more people who show up, the bigger the prizes so come on out and enjoy the fun.

SUNSHINE!

A lovely sunny Victoria Day weekend in Norton! 

We need weather like this on Friday for the community potluck picnic and Dot-Maucracy event. 

Norton Community Playground desired outcomes

This is what we hope to accomplish by rebuilding our playground:

• To create a welcoming, safe social hub where residents and families of all ages and abilities can gather.
• To restore pride and ownership in our community and to remind everyone what can be accomplished when we work together.
• To create a snowball effect that will re-establish our community as a place of importance, a place to visit, stay, and return to.
• To help teach our children and youth to be engaged, appreciative, responsible, and respectful of what they have and what they can offer to future generations.
• To give all residents a sense of belonging, comfort, and hope for a better tomorrow!

In order to accomplish these goals, we need your help. 

Please sign up and volunteer on Build Day if you have not already.

Sign up here to help on Sept. 22

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Friendly reminders:

Bingo tonight at the Norton Legion. Starts at 6pm. There will be volunteers from the Playground Committee in attendance to help out and a portion of the proceeds will go towards the playground. We are also in need of more volunteers to help at Bingo on Thursday evenings. If you are available in June, please let us know that you would like to help out.

You can also help us with fundraising by donating your recyclables at Norrad's Depot in Sussex. Just let them know in the office that you are making a donation on behalf of the Norton Community Playground.

And, of course, do not forget to mark May 25 on your calendar. There will be a community potluck picnic at the Norton Elementary School at 6pm. All the children of the community will have the opportunity to participate in our "Dot-Maucracy" event, where they can vote on the playground design. Plus, you can drop off baked goods or plants for the Norton Flea Market, which will take place on May 26 in the Legion.

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The Norton Community Playground has begun to make the news! So far this week we have been on the radio (CBC) as well as getting plenty of coverage in the Kings County Record. Word is spreading and we're gaining momentum! Let's show them what our community can accomplish.

attention volunteers

It has come to our awareness that some people who signed up to volunteer their time, talent, and treasure on September 22's Build Day have not received an email thanking them.

The email is addressed to you from LTBK and the subject line should say your name, thank you for helping! If you signed up to volunteer and have not received such an email, you will need to sign up again. Almost immediately afterwards you should receive this thank you email in your inbox. Afterwards you will receive a bi-weekly newsletter keeping you up-to-date and informed about upcoming fundraising events and how things are progressing.

If you have not received a thank you email,
you can sign up again here:
http://www.ltbk.ca/kids/index.php/community-entry/norton/

We sincerely apologise for any inconveniences. If you have any further trouble registering please let us know:
nortonplayground [at] gmail [dot] com

Norton Playground on the radio

There will be a CBC interview on the radio Monday morning around 8:15. Listen in as they talk with our very own Shawnee McConchie about what we hope to accomplish on Build Day in September.

watch Elbow, SK build a playground!

This weekend the rural farming community of Elbow, Saskatchewan will build a playground, fitness area, peace garden, walking trails, memorial garden and much more! This little town of just over 300 has raised over $100,000 for their community park and all that will go into it.

Please join us as we watch their efforts starting at 10am on Saturday, May 12th.  Just go to www.ltbk.ca to view at least a few minutes and give your words of encouragement through the online chat box.

Hear ye! Hear ye!

 What an amazing night and incredible turn out! 

We could not fit everyone into the gymnasium. At least it was a beautiful  evening for those outdoors

We sat the children up front for the award announcement and played Ian Hill's announcement video (which you can view above).

Then we asked for people to sign up and help us on build day.

Thank you to the teachers of Norton Elementary for helping people with the netbooks.   

It was a beautiful evening with music, running and playing around the school, and of course, face painting!

A line-up of excited children waiting to have their faces painted.

Thank you to Brittney & Kaitlyn from Wonderland for face painting!

Once the sun set and darkness fell upon us, we lit up the sky with a fireworks display!

Thank you to the Norton Fire Department for helping with the fireworks! And thank you to McConchie Trucking & Norton One Stop for the fireworks themselves!

And thank you to Darren, Tanya, and Ian for entertaining young and old alike with their lovely music.