Eric and Charlie Cohn prepare to cut the ribbon at the June 10 dedication of the Mid Valley Elementary playground dedicated to wife and mother Holly Cohn, a longtime Mid Valley teacher who died in 2022.
Eric and Charlie Cohn prepare to cut the ribbon at the June 10 dedication of the Mid Valley Elementary playground dedicated to wife and mother Holly Cohn, a longtime Mid Valley teacher who died in 2022.
HOOD RIVER — Mid Valley Elementary students in Odell marked the last day of school with an official dedication of the school’s new(ish) playground.
“One of the kindergarteners said, ‘What new playground?’” Principal Kim Yasui told the assembled crowd. “But this playground has not always been here.”
Dedicated to longtime Mid Valley teacher Holly Cohn, who died in 2022 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the playground has been assembled in stages beginning in spring 2024, and now includes a sheltered picnic area with tables, an amphitheater, a colorful mural, and benches.
As previously reported, the Cohn family donated $150,000 towards the project, which helped to kick off the PTO’s fundraising efforts in earnest. The group began fundraising in July 2021 and ultimately raised about $360,000.
PTO President Mari-Beth Guenther thanked project donors and volunteers, many of whom were in attendance, and said the playground is well-used by students and community alike.
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