Washington Elementary Wins $25K Grant

Hurricane Sandy came through the northeast with a fury many of us had never seen before. Extensive damage was done in just a few short hours. Unfortunately, the cleanup and restoration processes could take months, or even years.

The kids at Washington Elementary, who lost a large chunk of their playground, caught a lucky break last week. Thanks to from State Farm to rebuild a “Safe School Playground.”

Wyckoff resident Brian Saxton entered Washington Elementary into the competition.

“I just want to thank everybody once again for their support,” said Saxton. “Not only did people vote but they shared the cause on their Facebook pages and other ways and we really got a lot of support because of that.”

Saxton—a member of the Library Board and a father of a Washington Elementary first grader and a set of twins who will be attending Washington next year—submitted an entry essay to the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program. The program will donate $25,000 to 40 different causes submitted by different neighborhoods from the U.S. and Canada.

Ed Kalpagian is a State Farm Agent out of Allendale and a Wyckoff resident who brought the contest to Saxton’s attention.

“Without him mentioning this to me I never would have known about it and this wouldn’t have even been a possibility,” said Saxton. “I’m very appreciative and grateful for him bringing that to me.”

Voting ended last Monday but results weren’t announced until this morning. When voting closed, Washington Elementary and their nominated “Safe School Program” cause were ranked 30 out of 40.