With the community’s help, the new playground at Rochester Memorial School celebrated its groundbreaking and completion in a single day.

The school has 550 plus students attending pre-school through grade six. Due to school renovations, students in grades two through six went without a playground for four years.

On Saturday Aug. 10, more than 30 volunteers built the new playscape.

“We’ve had a lot of volunteers step forward. The community support has just been phenomenal,” Donna Forcier said. Forcier, along with Erin Bednarczyk, established the Rochester Memorial School Playground Committee to launch the project.

Along with help from physical education instructor Kevin Woodward and fourth grade teacher Craig Davignon, the committee raised $31,000 to design and construct the playground.

This past weekend, school parents (past and present), school staff, Old Rochester Regional staff, and residents gathered behind the school to wield wrenches, shovels, and drills.

Rochester resident Cindy Maak, of Site Specifics LLC, supervised the build. Maak’s company provides design service for groups looking to build playgrounds with a focus on safety and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The new playground, which features slides, swings, a fireman’s pole, and more, was possible through generous donations from the Wareham Lowe’s Home Improvement Store and S&S Forms/Preferred Concrete. It is also ADA compliant.

Lowe’s chose the playground as their “Heroes Project of the Year” for 2013. The home improvement store donated picnic tables and park benches for the site. This week, volunteer employees will assemble, water seal, and anchor the tables and benches.

Playground committee members offered special thanks to Lowe’s Human Resources Manager Jessica Silva for her support.

S&S Concrete delivered materials mid-day on Saturday and donated time and materials, Bednarczyk said.

Also, the Rochester Lions Club stepped forward to cook lunch for the volunteers at no cost on the day of the build.

To learn more about the project, its history, and to make a donation, visit www.rmsplaygroundproject.weebly.com.