I drive by Rooney School and I see plenty of trees. Why do you need more trees?
The front of the school does have a significant number of trees, however the playground area at rear of the school has very few. The students of Rooney spend every day on the portion of the school property without any trees. Our focus is to make an improvement to this area.
We invite you to take a look at the Vision section of our website. There you can see photos of the playground today and the vision of what it can become.
What type of trees will we be planting?
We have consulted with local experts in the nursery industry for guidance. We have learned that the Rooney playground soil is heavy clay and there have historically be challenges with draining water. The drainage issue has been previously be addressed by the school district. Our guidance has advised us to plant maple, elm, and oak varieties and to avoid Sugar Maples.
We plan to plant trees with a 2″ trunk or greater. These trees are more expensive, but they will provide the best opportunity for success in the Rooney environment.
How many trees do we need?
The short answer is a lot. The Rooney playground area is almost 7 acres and we are starting with a blank canvas.
Where will we plant the trees?
The specific locations will be determined when tree orders have been placed, but broadly we plan to focus on the areas on the playground side of the building that will make the most impact first — bordering the playground equipment, basketball hoops, swings, etc.
We invite you to take a look at the Vision section of our website that gives a snapshot of the transformation we are trying to make.
How long will it take to plant the trees?
The rate in which the trees will be planted depends on the amount of financial support we are able to gather. Our goal is to complete two plantings per year — once in the spring, once in the fall.
Who will plant the trees?
We plan to have the trees planted by professional landscapers. The trees will be staked for the first 1 – 2 years after the planting and be surrounded in a ring of mulch to protect the trees. Our volunteers plan to manage the early life maintenance of the trees — watering, weeding, etc.
I’d like to volunteer to help. What can I do?
We would love to have as many volunteers as possible. For the first year after planting it is important that the trees are regularly watered. Additionally, it is important that mulch be maintained around each tree to maintain moisture and keep lawn mowers away from the trees. We will need to ensure the trees remain properly staked and the stakes removed when the tree is ready.
Our focus at the moment is adding trees, but there are other areas where volunteers can help improve our playground. Together we can make a real difference.
If you would like to help please <Contact Us> or email [email protected].
How can I donate?
We offer two methods to donate — online or mail-in check.
Online
Our online method leverages a service from PayPal Giving to allow us to accept credit card based donations. A fee of 1.99% + $0.49 is charged for each credit card based transaction.
Mail-in or Drop-off
The mail-in check option ensures that 100% of your donation goes to our project. Checks of any amount can be made out to ‘Ronney PTO’ and mailed to the following address:
Rooney Elementary School
ATTN: PTO – Trees
4900 Columbus Rd.
Quincy, IL 62305
Alternatively checks can also be dropped off to the Rooney Elementary School office during normal school hours. Please let them know your check is for the Trees for Rooney program.
My business would like to sponsor your project, will you accept sponsorships from the business community?
Absolutely! Please <Contact Us> or email [email protected] to discuss your sponsorship.
Can I deduct my contribution on my taxes?
It is recommended you confirm with a tax professional, but the general answer is yes. The Rooney PTO is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
