Donating a Baldwin piano to Memorial School was easy for George and Jayne McMurdy.

“We had this piano that we didn’t really have a use for,” Jayne McMurdy said. “And, we had seen the piano that they had at Memorial.”

During the 2005-06 school year, the couple, whose two children attended Memorial and are now at McKelvie Middle School, gave the piano to the school.

“It was easy. They had their own truck and equipment and knew just what to do,” McMurdy said.

Each year, the district totals the amount of donations from residents and local businesses, said Superintendent Tim Mayes.

For the 2005-06 school year, the district received about $23,930.77 in cash, along with many other donations, including a telescope, printer, scientific glassware and darkroom equipment.

This seems to be a common trend as residents and businesses in Bedford love donating equipment and money to the town and school district.

Another example is the new playground to replace the ailing Timber Town on County Road. For that project, businesses, town organizations and families have donated $75,200 so far, said Michelle Casale, parks and recreation committee member.

“We were thrilled with the response,” she said.

The money raised for that project alone rivals the total donations to the town since 2002, which are about $95,845, according to a list compiled by Bedford Finance Director Crystal Dionne.

The playground donations equal about 78 percent of that amount and when added to the total, bring it to $171,045 since 2002.

Town Manager Russ Marcoux said Bedford has received more donations than other towns in which he’s worked.

Town Councilor Michael Scanlon, who praised donations to the town at the March 28 council meeting, requested the itemized list from the town.

“Basically, we just had a lot of private groups who spent a lot of money and time” for the town, he said.

Mayes said the school district totals doantions for the 2006-07 school year aren’t out yet, but they may be higher than the previous years.

“I would think they go up and down every year,” he said.

This year, Eckman Construction donated about $40,000 to the new school complex.

“So that should spike next year’s numbers,” Mayes said.

It’s not just the money donated, though, it’s the time and energy that’s most important, he said.

“What we’ve found is whenever there’s a need, people in the community have stepped up,” he said.

For 25 consecutive years, the district has been named a Blue Ribbon district by the New Hampshire Partners in Education.

This award is for districts that meet a threshold for volunteerism.

“I think there’s only a handful of districts in New Hampshire that can say that,” Mayes said.