After years of having nothing to climb up, slide down or swing on, kids at Glenville-Emmons Elementary School were given new playground equipment by the school’s Parent-Teacher Connection.

The Parent-Teacher Connection, parents, grandparents, students and businesses gathered early on a rainy May 10 to install the first phase of the new equipment.

What volunteers thought would take just a few hours to install the satellite climbers — round, blue plastic structures that kids can hang from and climb on — ended up taking the whole day, so more work is still to come. The construction was and will be completed by the Parent-Teacher Connection and volunteers.

The Parent-Teacher Connection and the students raised almost $15,000 for the playground upgrades. That money bought a new climbing structure and replaced slides that were removed years ago.

It will fund the installation of a new swing set, painting the existing equipment and other “sprucing up” of the existing playground, said PTC President Susie Miller — to be done in the near future.

Kids weren’t allowed to play on the new equipment that entire weekend in May, so anticipation mounted for the ribbon cutting ceremony on May 12, said PTC Secretary Rhonda Allison.

The entire school was out for the ceremony that Monday. As the crowd waited, Miller got the students cheering to create excitement. Allison said it was almost like a scene from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” with Ty Pennington.

“Susie yelled, ‘Cut that ribbon,’” Allison said.

As soon as the ribbon fell to the ground the kids stormed the playground, Miller said. Students were even lining up to go down the slide. Before the new equipment, she said, kids would just run around on the playground and didn’t have anything to interact with. A city park is just across a side street, but students are required to stay on school grounds.

“To see them there that first time we all had tears in our eyes,” Miller said. “Just to see their excitement, it was worth all the time we put into it.”

Throughout the day, she said, teachers took classes out to play so the students could have more time on less-crowded equipment.

“It was kind of cool how the whole thing got started,” Miller said.

School Principal Sue Gillard called Miller one day and asked if her husband’s business would be willing to donate for much-needed playground equipment.

At that time the Parent-Teacher Connection wasn’t active, but through the events and initiatives brought on during the year the group was soon up and running again, Miller said.

Almost 30 businesses contributed to the playground fundraising and food.

“Everybody was more than generous,” Miller said. “It’s amazing.”

The entire process took six months, according to Allison and Miller. The school collected aluminum cans and sold $3,400 worth of $5 Papa Murphy’s pizza coupons.

“It’s just nice to see the community come together And it’s all for the kids.”

Other Parent-Teacher Connection members are Vice President Michelle Severtson, Brenda Hanssen, Kathy Thompson, Lisa Hajek, Sherry Adams and Gillard.

“We’ve got big plans for next year,” Miller said.