An F.W. Howay parent is reaching out to high-profile service providers for the New Westminster school district - asking them to help pay for a new playground, and at least one has said it would.
Paul Johansen asked CINEC, Golder Associates, Harris and Company, Grant & Sinclair Architects and consultants Jim Alkins' and Doug Hibbins' companies for donations to help replace the worn-out playground at F.W. Howay Elementary school. All of the companies have gotten hefty payments from the school district for the services they provide.
So far, only CINEC has agreed to donate $1,000 to the cause.
"I think that's great of CINEC," said Johansen. "The Howay PAC is very pleased that CINEC came through for us."
The school district paid $216,360 to the company, which acts as representatives between schools in Canada and China, last year alone. CINEC's president is Russ Pacey, a former associate superintendent with the New Westminster school district, who left the school district in 2006.
Johansen said Golder Associates - a consulting company helping the school district with the complicated high school replacement project - opted not to make a donation.
Harris and Company told Johansen that the company had allocated its donation funding to the school district for the year through its annual scholarship donation.
Johansen said if he does end up getting more donations than the school needs, he will forward the funds to another school in the district to help it build a new playground.
The province agreed to give Howay $50,000 for its playground project as part of a larger amount for several schools that were awarded funds last June. The Westminster Shrine Club, which Johansen is a member of, gave $600.
As of Tuesday, the school was short $5,000 for the project, Johansen said.
