It took parents at a Scarborough elementary school five years to raise $20,000 to build a playground for kindergarten students but in just a few moments, it was completely destroyed.

“Vandals basically torched the entire playscape,” said Toronto Distict School Board spokesperson Shari Schwartz-Maltz.

“This was a playground that was a labour of love for the parents of Mary Shadd Public School,” she said.

The school is located near Finch Avenue and Neilson Road.

Toronto police are now investigating the incident.

The cost of a replacement is not covered by insurance so school officials are making an appeal to the public for help.

“Lots of little kindergarten students at Mary Shadd are going to ask Torontonians to open up their hearts and their pocketbooks and hopefully, we can rebuild this playground,” she said.

Anyone interested in making a donation is asked to contact the school.