Photo by Mike Brothers SES playground got a free map of the United States thanks to some team work from left photo: Elementary teacher Nichole Hendry (left) and student Bella Brownlee (right). After receiving Bella’s letter “Mr. A” traveled from Benton to paint a USA map for Sullivan students.

Retired Educator Donates Fun

•August 17, 2016•

By Mike Brothers

After spending 26 years on playgrounds, you would think Gene Alexander would look for another place to play.

Instead this 81 year old retired teacher and principal of Benton visited the Sullivan Elementary School playground August 9, leaving a generous gift.

For the past 26 years Alexander “Mr. A” has been painting maps of the United States on playgrounds and in parking lots all over the state.

As school was closing last year Nichole Hendry and her fifth grade class began searching for a way to get a map of the United States placed on the playground at SES.

“One of the classes painted a map on the old playground that had faded away,” Hendry said, noting they were looking at making it a class project.

Patterns for such a project plus materials were costly. Hendry said she shared the idea with elementary school administrative assistant Ann Sanner.

Sanner ran across a story in Outdoor Illinois about Alexander’s mission to place maps of the United States on school playgrounds free of charge and passed it along to Hendry.
Student Bella Brownlee was given the assignment of contacting “Mr. A” and requesting one of his maps for Sullivan Elementary School.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.