A Playground Where Everyone Belongs
What started as a simple idea between two fourth-grade friends is becoming something that will impact students for years to come.
When Georgia and Elaina realized their friend wouldn’t have accessible playground equipment to use in middle school, they decided to do something about it.
Now, with support from the New London-Spicer Area Fund and the Willmar Area Community Foundation, their idea is helping create a playground where all children can play, connect, and belong.
The New London-Spicer Area Fund is proud to support these young people whose compassion and leadership are inspiring our community to think about inclusion in a meaningful way.
The goal is to raise $40,000 to install accessible playground equipment by Fall 2026 — creating a welcoming space for students of all abilities.
Your gift can help ensure no child is left watching from the sidelines.
AN UPDATE AS OF 8.26.26
Dear Community Friends,
We did it! We achieved our goal to raise enough money to get our friend a swing! Thank you so much for helping us make our idea come true.
It all started during a sleepover last April when we were talking about next year and moving to middle school. We were thinking about our friend who uses a wheelchair and realized that there wasn’t any playground equipment at the middle school that he could use and we didn’t think that was fair.
So we went to our parents and said, “We have an idea. We want to raise money to get him a swing.” We weren’t sure what would happen after that. We just knew we wanted our friend to be able to play with us. Then something amazing happened.
Our parents helped us get started along with the New London-Spicer Area Fund and Willmar Area Community Foundation, then businesses and people from our community began supporting our idea. One donation turned into another, and another, and another. Before we knew it, our little idea had become something much bigger. And YOU helped make it happen.
Because of your generosity, our friend will have a place to swing, laugh and make memories with his friends at the New London-Spicer Middle School this Fall. But you also helped us learn something we will never forget, when you see something that isn’t fair, you can do something about it. It means a lot to us that you supported our idea and believed in us and we are so happy for our friend that he will get to play with us at the middle school!
Thank you for showing us what it means to be part of a community that cares. Thank you for helping make our school a place where everyone can belong. And thank you for teaching us that even two soon-to-be fifth grade girls can make a difference.
We hope that someday, when others see this swing being used, they will understand that it represents friendship, inclusion, and a community that came together to make it happen.
Thank you for helping us turn our idea into something real.
With grateful hearts,
Elaina O’Neill and Georgia Goebel
The New London-Spicer Area Fund (NLSAF) is a citizen-driven and professionally managed ongoing resource that enables individuals to support advancements in the community. The New London-Spicer Area Fund makes grants to non-profit 501(c)(3) and qualifying government organizations operating in 12 northern townships of Kandiyohi County.
The New London-Spicer Area Fund operates as a community fund of the Willmar Area Community Foundation (WACF). For more information email [email protected] or call (320) 235-4380.