BRISTOL — The Bristol Green Playground Committee, which is raising funds to build a new playground on the town green, kicked off its fundraising campaign this past Wednesday at the Bobcat Café on Main Street.
The committee, a joint venture of the Bristol Recreation Department and the Bristol Downtown Community Partnership, is using the crowd-funding website indiegogo.com to raise money. The goal is to raise $11,000 in 30 days — as of Nov. 22 at noon, $3,415 had been raised from 26 donations, most of which were between $25 and $50.
Middlebury resident Kevin Lehman made a short film to promote the project, which can be seen on the Independent’s website.
After holding a contest in which anyone was welcome to submit a design, the committee selected a plan by Mary Beth Stilwell of MB Architecture + Design of Lincoln. The new playground will be built on the site of the existing playground, which has swings that are more than a half-century old and elements that do not comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Committee member Jill Kopel said on an electronic message board that the group is applying for several grants that if secured, would require matching funds. The fundraising period ends Dec. 20, and the group hosts to break ground on a new playground by June 2014.