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Quinnipiac Donation to Fund New Playgrounds at North Haven Schools

Quinnipiac University donated thousands of dollars to the Town of North Haven Monday, money that will go toward improvements to the town’s schools.

President John Lahey presented First Selectman Mike Freda (R - North Haven) with a check for $700,000 on Monday afternoon at North Haven Town Hall.

“We are incredibly grateful for this generosity,” Freda said.

North Haven is home to five of Quinnipiac’s nine schools, including the law and medical schools.

“We certainly want to help the Town of North Haven in their economic development,” Lahey said.

Part of the $700,000 check, which is made up of a voluntary donation on top of property taxes, will be used to support the town’s schools.

“At a time when state funding is being cut back and at a time when organically municipal costs are rising through the form of contracts, pensions and insurance, these types of payments are incredibly helpful to any municipality,” Freda explained.

About $200,000 will go toward a new playground at the Montowese Elementary School, Freda said.

“And in the Ridge Road School, they’ve been trying to build an inclusive handicapped accessible playscape and a significant portion of this check will be utilized to augment the efforts of that PTA,” Freda added.

Heather Choquette and Anna Buono are the co-presidents of the Montowese Elementary School PTA and have been trying to raise money for a new playground.

“I’m blown away that Quinnipiac is able to help yet another school here in town,” Buono said. “Having them in town has really been so beneficial. Knowing now that we may have it by the beginning of the next school year is fantastic, we’re really thrilled.”

North Haven has now received $1.6 million from Quinnipiac over the last three years, according to a university press release.

Other projects funded with that money are lights on the town’s softball field and a new playground at the Green Acres School, Freda said.

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