WATERFORD – Hamburger Helper, a quick-fix suppertime mainstay, has recently awarded a $5,400 grant toward the construction of a playground here as part of a short-term charity blitz.

The small group of people who make up the Sandlot Committee received the money to put toward a state-of-the-art playground that will likely cost more than $18,000 when it’s done.

For the past four years, the Sandlot Committee has been turning empty “sand lot” fields on Route 118 into a recreational park. The land was given to the town for a cemetery, but since it will take 50 years to fill up just one half of the lot with graves, some people decided to convert about 3.5 acres into an outdoor play area, according to committee member Jeffrey Beebe.

“We have proven that the community is behind the project,” said Samantha Murch, a member of the Sandlot Committee. “We received one grant from Major League Baseball, and that gives you some legitimacy with other grants.” The Baseball Tomorrow Fund awarded the committee about $22,000 to build a baseball field 18 months ago.

From October to June, Hamburger Helper plans to give up to $15,000 in grants each month to organizations around the country. They have until May to apply.

In Maine, 67 organizations submitted applications to the company’s Web site, where there’s an option for community members to offer support to applications by posting comments.

It is unclear why Hamburger Helper is doing the charity drive now, or what the motive is. Laurie Pepitone, the public relations person for the General Mills food product, said the event is promoting a theme of helping hands, which refers to the chubby, white-gloved hand with a face that touted the product in commercials.

“A little help with dinner,” is scribbled on the Web site for the drive, called My Hometown Helper. “A little help with your hometown.” The white hand with a big red nose waves in one corner.