ATTLEBORO - Led by the Attleboro Rotary Club, a number of charities and public service groups banded together and raised more than the $30,000 needed to replace splinter-ridden and worn-out playground equipment at Nickerson Field.

The Rotary Club kicked off the fundraiser in February with a $10,000 grant, and challenged other groups to meet it.

Since then, the L.G. Balfour Foundation has contributed $10,000 and the Attleboro Foundation and the Bristol County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation have each donated $5,000.

Also helping out were the South Attleboro Lions Club, which gave $500 and the Interact Club, the youth arm of the Rotary Club, which chipped in $261. The fundraiser is aimed at helping the Rotary Club fulfill its theme for the year, "Making Dreams Real," and was prompted by a Sun Chronicle news story about the bad condition of the playground.

The playground equipment is used by youngsters from the nearby Hillcrest Oaks public housing complex and is at least 30 years old. The city doesn't have the cash to replace the aging apparatus, which is under constant repair by recreation workers. Part of the project's goal is to raise awareness about the Rotary Club and to bring Rotarians and residents together with a common purpose, Rotary officials said.

City Recreation Director Dennis Walsh said a "community build" has been scheduled for Aug. 15.