MINOT – Parents may be more anxious than usual for school to start this year. They know what brightly colored, shiny surprise stands waiting for their kids at Minot Consolidated School.

After years of basket bingo fund-raisers, and months of brain-racking planning, a brand new playground that took about $35,000 and countless hours of volunteer effort finally gleams in the sunlight behind the school building.

While final preparations continue this week for the new playground to be ready the first day of school on Sept. 1, the bulk of the work happened in torrential downpours on Saturday.

The query “Are you wet enough?” became too clich by noon, and by evening most parents had gone through a couple of changes of clothes. But no one got tired of hearing or saying, “This is awesome!”

“I can’t believe it,” said Becky Woodford, who chaired this year’s playground committee for the Minot Community Club. “It’s really happening!”

About 30 Minot volunteers, some who didn’t even have kids in school yet, showed up with raincoats, boots, canopies, food and a strong commitment to their cause.

John Pratt showed up with his back-hoe, digging and hauling mounds of dirt.

Other parents split up into teams to assemble and install pieces on the 100-square-foot play area, and stayed throughout the day to give more than eight full hours of free labor in the relentless rain.

The patient ones tediously put together dozens of metal bars and plates that finally morphed into a geodesic climbing apparatus. The parents who liked playing in dirt dug dozens of post holes and repeatedly measured for exact depth and evenness. The problem-solvers managed to construct a towering red tarantula with pieces from the factory that came out slightly twisted or off caliber.

The effort throughout the day served as a culmination of the same kind of effort and community spirit that has been years in the giving.

Many parents who couldn’t make the past weekend’s work session donated money to the cause. Grandparents and other relatives provided baby-sitting. Even before the weekend, Rick Nichols spent days preparing the ground with professional excavating expertise.

Minot voters gave $5,000 toward the new playground at the 2003 town meeting. Community members never said no to the nonstop fund-raisers. Minot resident George Allen, manager of Gagne & Son in Auburn, donated concrete blocks.

And the Minot-Hebron Athletic Association donated $750 in proceeds from this year’s annual adult softball tournament. In addition, the association kicked in burgers and hot dogs from the snack shack to feed Saturday’s hungry volunteers.

Even School Union 29 Superintendent Nina Schlikin and new school Principal Margaret Pitts and her family braved the weather to participate Saturday.

Unlike most equipment companies that end their relationships once shipping is complete, Eric Welzel of Brunswick and his Playgrounds Plus crew followed through for free on the installation of the Miracle Recreation Equipment Co. play set.

The new playground includes a separate swing set, two separate climbing apparatuses, a central configuration that shoots out four different slides at different heights.

Several parents, with their kids in their cars, drove by the school to give them a sneak preview of what will be waiting for them. The huge metal monuments in bright primary colors seemed to stand as trophies for the winning spirits of the Minot community.