FOLEY, Ala. - Residents will be putting a helping hand and a working mind forward to upgrade the Foley Elementary Playground for the next few Saturdays.

The "Work Day" is to place a new piece of playground equipment, with local volunteers and school patrons hoping to save Baldwin County School Board costs which would total around $2,500 to erect the equipment.

"The county has said they have made money and purchased a big piece of playground equipment. The county said it would cost $2,500 just to put up the one big piece of equipment," Zana Price, city activist and school patron, said. "That $2,500 could buy a lot of jump ropes and balls."

Susie King, physical education teacher at Foley Elementary, is organizing the event and hoping to get more volunteers to step up.

The first step, Price said, is to remove debris and rocks in the ground left from the previous playground equipment and make the ground safe.

"They had lost a big piece from damage and whatever when they tore down the old playground. This is a new piece and kind of the centerpiece of the playground," Price said. "Volunteers are desperately needed."

Post-hole diggers, shovels, rakes and other tools are needed to help get the site ready to erect the new playground equipment.

The project began Saturday and another work day will take place this upcoming Saturday, Price said.