MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Cooperative Education Program recently received a $7,000 community grant from the Fred Meyer Fund, to help purchase new playground equipment for Quil Ceda Elementary.

The Marysville Co-Op is a choice kindergarten through fifth-grade program in the Marysville School District and housed at Quil Ceda Elementary. Marysville Co-Op fifth-grade teacher Sue Johnston explained that the Marysville Co-Op PTSA has been working to fund the purchase of additional playground equipment for the past two years.

“We wrote a grant application to fund swings,” Johnston said. “Our plan is to wait until we’ve raised enough additional funds to purchase other playground equipment, as part of something closer to a full jungle gym set. Fred Meyer will want an accounting of their funds by next year, though, so by then we’ll have to agree on something to put in place. I didn’t realize how expensive playground equipment could be.”

Johnston credits Sarah Zagish, a parent in the Marysville Co-Op PTSA who also works at the local Fred Meyer, with asking her employers at Fred Meyer if there was anything they could do on behalf of the Marysville Co-Op. Zagish then alerted Johnston to the Fred Meyer Fund’s community grant program.

Glynda Brockhoff, philanthropy coordinator for the Fred Meyer Fund, issued a statement expressing hopes that their community grant will help the Marysville Co-Op “enhance the welfare” of both the school and its surrounding community.

“The Fred Meyer Fund and its advisory committee members were particularly impressed by the successful track record of the Marysville Co-Op and its approach to education,” Brockhoff said. “We are proud to be part of the Marysville community and are committed to helping where we can.”

Johnston noted that even with the support of parents and organizations such as Fred Meyer, the Marysville Co-Op must remain frugal in its purchases.

“We’ve been part of the Marysville School District for 12 years, but we’re still not very well known,” Johnston said.