Beethoven Elementary School Celebrates New Playground!

Thanks to the generosity of the Anne & Kirk Douglas Award, the students at Beethoven Elementary School are enjoying a new play structure on their main yard.

Yesterday the school held a ribbon cutting celebration to inaugurate the new playground and to honor Mr. & Mrs. Douglas. The celebration also served to recognize Beethoven's tremendous academic gains which recently culminated in the California Distinguished School designation.

Before the play structure installation, the yard consisted of dated playground equipment and a bleak stretch of asphalt. Over the past 10 years, a partnership of the Friends of Beethoven booster club, school staff and community organizations and foundations have successfully beautified the front side of Beethoven Elementary. They are now moving forward in phases to transform the "Big Yard."

Since its inception in 1997, the Anne & Kirk Douglas Award has provided more than $8 million to over 400 projects.