JoAnn Kaopio said when she was notified Okay Elementary would receive a grant for playground equipment, she began thinking about non-traditional equipment.

“We wanted to get something more suited for fitness,” Kaopio said. “We want to make sure we keep the kids active.”

Kaopio, the special education teacher at Okay Elementary, applied for the grant from Lowe’s Toolbox for Education program to get new playground equipment.

The Toolbox for Education program is funded by the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. The foundation has supported thousands of grassroots community and school projects in the communities where Lowe’s does business.

Recipients of the grants receive up to $5,000.

Kaopio said she applied for the grant because the school needed more playground equipment.

Kaopio and Marsha Rhoden, a first-grade teacher at the elementary school, shopped around to make sure they got the most for their money.

“When you get the grant, you can pick out the equipment,” Kaopio said. “You don’t have to buy from Lowe’s. You can buy from anywhere.”

Kaopio said the playground equipment won’t be installed until the weather cools off.

“We’re going to install it in October,” Kaopio said. “We can probably do it all in one weekend.”

Kaopio said they are going to be using only volunteers to get the work done.

“You could use the money for part of the labor, but we got all volunteers,” Kaopio said. “We have volunteers from Lowe’s, Advance Workzone, UPS.”

The Toolbox for Education program’s Facebook page says the program was established in 2005 as a way to help build better communities and schools. The program has provided more than $20 million to more than 4,000 schools across the country.

Lowe’s spokesman Jarred Littlejohn said the program will accept around 1,000 grants per year, each grant ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.

“There is always a preference for any type of project that will have a permanent impact,” Littlejohn said.

Applications for Fall 2011 grants will be accepted starting in mid-July.

Information: www.toolboxforeducation.com.

Reach Liberty Walker at (918) 684-2920 or walkerls@nsuok.edu.