The playground at Booker T. Washington Elementary School still serves children well, but in some respects it has seen better days.

The main respect, Denise Singleton says, is the sand that lies beneath the equipment. It can sometimes harbor things you don’t want in a playground.

“When we go away on the weekend, you come back and see all different types of things in the sand,” Singleton said.

The guidance counselor is hoping to win a new playground with a recycled-rubber base to replace the sand.

She’s encouraging parents — and anyone else interested — to help Booker T. Washington do it by entering online at www.togethercounts.com/at-school/win-for-your-school/sweepstakes.

Singleton, her school’s webmaster, said she came across the competition “looking at other school’s websites.”

“I came across it and thought, ‘This is something that we need,’” she said.

There are actually two grand prizes, both worth $30,000: wellness program resources to that amount, and a new playground from Playworld Systems.

Three runner-up schools will win $5,000 in prizes for their wellness programs.

Together Counts, running the competition, “is a nationwide program inspiring active and healthy living” and aiming to reduce childhood obesity by 2015, its website says.

Any school can be entered via the website, with one entry per person per day accepted.

Singleton said she wants to make her school’s playground safer for children to use.

“Right now we have sand,” she said, “but with the new playground we’re hoping we can switch to a recycled rubber.”

The wish to get a new playground is “more of a safety issue” than anything else, she said, adding, “When the teachers come out, they look around (in the sand) — the custodians too. When we are not here, the community comes in and uses the playground.”

But it would be a bonus if the children could also get some new playground equipment, Singleton added.

If the school is a runner-up, Singleton said the school would also appreciate the opportunity to get some more mobility balls.

“Right now, if we get a set, we have to split it up amongst the classes,” she said.

“We could get some new supplies to help the gym teacher out as well.”

Singleton wants Booker T. Washington parents — especially — to register and enter the competition every day, to increase the chances of winning.