Thanks to the PTA, industrious Firethorne mom Beverly Tucker and generous donors,
Katy/Fulshear-area students at WoodCreek Elementary School now can play outside
and still be protected from the sun
’s ultraviolet rays. According to the school’s PTA president Diane Pharr, Tucker spearheaded the PTA’s campaign to raise $28,500 to construct a shade structure for the school’s playground at 1155 WoodCreek Bend Lane in Katy.
“This shade not only shields our students from the sun, but it adds value to our
campus,
” said WoodCreek Elementary School principal Ronnie Mosher. “And the kids absolutely love it!”
“Our mission is to enhance our children’s education, their lives and the lives of the school staff,” said Pharr. “With the intensity of the UV rays we get in Texas, we thought it would be a good
idea to have this sun shade on our children
’s school playground.”
Tucker, who has two sons at the school, responded to then-PTA president Beth
Toot
’s request for a volunteer to write a grant for the American Academy of
Dermatology's Shade Structure Program in March 2007.
The Academy grants awards of $8,000 to purchase permanent shade structures to
nonprofit
Firethorne resident Beverly Tucker (second from left) and son, Jonathan, helped
celebrate the dedication of the WoodCreek Elementary School permanent sun shade
with Firethorne marketing director Janet Burkett (left) and Firethorne general
manager Wayne Meyer (center) and PTA President Diane Pharr and son, Eddie
(right).
organizations that serve children and teenagers, ages 18 and under.
The Firethorne full-time mom was the perfect grant writer and advocate for the
school
’s shade structure project. Not only had Tucker worked as a professional fundraiser, but she has a son who
has an autoimmune disease, alopecia areata, which causes severe hair loss and
therefore makes him susceptible to overexposure to the sun, noted Pharr.
Local dermatologist Kelly H. Duncan, M.D., who has extensive dermatologic cancer
training at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Dept. of Dermatology, provided the
required Academy member sponsorship for the grant, which was awarded in May
2007.
“I am thrilled that Woodcreek Elementary has an appropriate shade structure for
the children while at recess. Early and consistent photo protection early in
life can significantly reduce or eliminate a child
’*s risk for developing skin cancer or malignant melanoma in adulthood,” said Duncan.
The PTA gave an additional $7,000 toward the project, which left Tucker another
$20,500 to raise.
As a Firethorne homeowner, Tucker approached Firethorne general manager Wayne
Meyer about supporting the neighborhood project. Firethorne agreed to donate
$4,000, as did WoodCreek Reserve and Pine Mill Ranch residential communities in
Katy/Fulshear.
BP-Fabric of America and Montreaux Luxury Homes contributed $1,000 and $500,
respectively.
