An outpouring of support from the community means children at Woodson Kindergarten Center will have newer playground equipment when school begins.

Last spring, school staff began soliciting for donations to renovate their outdated equipment; some had also been vandalized. They set a goal of raising $5,000 to complete the first of two phases.

Former Woodson principal Jayne Gibson, who began as principal at Banfield Elementary July 1, said she is overwhelmed and ecstatic about the outcome of the fundraising drive, which has raised $10,060.

“People have been coming out of the woodwork to make sure we have a decent playground out there,” Gibson said. “Community members started donating … I had a mother who has seven children who all went through Woodson.”

In addition to individual donations, they held a pancake fundraiser at Applebee’s, and Burger King donated a portion of its sales one day. Among contributors were parent-teacher organizations, the Austin Public Education Foundation, Accentra Credit Union, Godfather’s, the Austin Jaycees and an Austin High School youth leadership group.

An anonymous donor with ties to Hormel Foods gave $1,500, which the Hormel Foundation matched.

Before the renovation project, Woodson had one play structure with three slides and a bridge; a row of swings; two monkey bars; another play structure with a bridge; and spring riders.

The playground project is underway, and will include a funnel ball, teeter-totters, a new slide, sandbox and new fill.

Some of the equipment was age appropriate for toddlers — Woodson previously housed Early Childhood and Family Education. About 100-125 students use the playground at a time.

“By the time the students come back this fall, the new swing set will be up,” Gibson said. “We did a little bit more than what we initially planned.”

Although there will be some money left over, Woodson will continue giving all fundraising activity profits to the playground fund, to keep equipment up-to-date.

“The dollar amount was just a number,” Gibson said. “We are so fortunate to live in a community that just values kids.”

Woodson, which opened as an all-day, everyday kindergarten four years ago, has between 375 and 390 students each year. The new principal is Jean McDermott, former principal at Neveln Elementary.