Chili Cook-Off May Heat up Peabody Playground
By Danielle Wilburn/MicroMemphis Reporter
February 11, 2012
Ready. Set. Go play? The Parent Teacher Association of Peabody Elementary is raising money for the children in the Cooper-Young neighborhood. This organization hosted their 5th annual Chili cook off on Saturday February 11th in the school’s cafeteria. The group plans to keep the children cool in the summer by providing shade over the school playground that also serves as the community park.
Mandy Grisham co-president of PTA said, “We are applying for a shade grant, we don’t know if we got it yet but if we get it we will have to provide $10,000 so we’re going to designate this money towards that.”
Funding would come from KaBoom, the same foundation the Cooper-Young Community Association and Peabody Elementary received money from in 2008 to install the school's playground equipment. More than 100 volunteers pitched in to build the entire playground in one day. Based on stipulations in KaBoom funding, this school playground must also be open to the public. So the grounds of the school are actually a park open to the public.
Shade Grant Funding
To participate in the cook-off, preregistration was $15 per team and $20 after February 3rd. For those who wanted to walk around and be a taste tester the cost was $5 for four samples. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to pick a winner for the People's Choice award by donating money to their favorite team.
This category raised about $400. Overall, the cook-off raised $1,500 to be used for playground improvements.
Besides the students, parents and residents in attendance this event also brought out Congressman Steven Cohen, Mayor AC Wharton, and District 7 Commissioner Tomeka Hart who was also a judge for the event.
Congressman Cohen didn’t have a response when asked about the shade for the playground initiative by PTA. “I really can’t say. I’m not familiar with the issue,” said Cohen. But after the event, Cohen and others were made aware of the issue. Children from Peabody Elementary wrote letters to the politicians asking for support of school play and improvements to the grounds.
Mayor Wharton said playtime for the children is important, but he doesn’t think the shade over the playground is entirely necessary.
“We’re turning our kids into couch kittens, the sun doesn't hurt kids,” said Wharton. “We have to toughen them up plus you get vitamin D from the sun”
But some residents in the area don’t agree with the mayor. Cooper-Young resident Trevor Kearney said “In Memphis the sun is brutal and eight months out of the year the kids need some shade”
If the PTA is unable to help keep the kids cool in the summer they do have a back-up plan.
According to Grisham, “If we don’t get the shade grant, we will use this money for beautification.”
See more pictures and read our story about the festivities at the 5th Annual CYCA/Peabody Elementary Chili Cook-Off
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Video from Chili Cook-Off
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Video of Commissioner Hart
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Tiffany Neely/ MicroMemphis reporter
Tiffany Neely covers Community for MicroMemphis.
You can send her story ideas here.
Follow her on Twitter ( @tiffanyreports )
Danielle J. Wilburn/ MicroMemphis reporter
Danielle Wilburn covers Community for MicroMemphis.
You can send her story ideas here.
Follow her on Twitter ( @Daniellej_08 ).