West Chicago comes together to create park

West Chicago Elementary School District 33's parents, teachers, children and dozens of volunteers all pitched in Sunday to build a playground -- the only preschool-appropriate park in the city.

From about 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. about 200 volunteers covered in wood chips, dirt and rain continued to help carry out the long-awaited project at 312 E. Forest Avenue.

Teachers spent months raising money for the playground so young children could have a place to play.

"The spirit of these people is really something," Director of Community Relations Becky Koltz said. "The rain didn't deter them. The cold didn't deter them. They just keep going."

Community members, along with about 100 volunteers from Home Depot, Starbucks and Wheaton Bible Church, helped plant bushes, build the playground and cover the grounds with mulch. Children ages 2 to 5, who are part of the Early Learning Center will benefit from the park, though Koltz said it's open for the whole community, not just the preschool program.

"It's very appropriate for that age group to have something like this for development," she said.

Maggie Sanchez, a teacher at the preschool, was in awe Sunday.

"You see all these volunteers so it gives you more energy and more of a will to help out," she said.

In a community with such a large Hispanic population, she said sometimes there are heavy language barriers.

But not Sunday.

"Everyone's just here together to work for the kids," Sanchez said.

Char Madsen, a district medical education nurse, was overwhelmed.

"I just can't even put into words how much help we've had here," she said. "The children will have an awesome playground to play in."