First draft of Emo spray park design available

The Emo Spray Park committee is officially kicking off its fundraising campaign this Saturday (June 9) from 9-11 a.m. at Cloverleaf Grocery there.
Coffee and doughnuts will be available, as well as information on the endeavour and samples of the first design draft.
“It will give people a chance to get a feel for what the spray park is all about,” noted committee chair Lincoln Dunn.
Dunn added he’s thrilled to have the first draft of the park’s design, which was mapped out by Waterplay, a Canadian-based spray park manufacturer.
“Now we’ve got a vision of what it’s going to look like,” he enthused. “I’m sure it will change somewhat between now and then, but it at least gives us a starting point.”
The committee is aiming to raise $150,000 by next spring in order to build the 60’ x 60’ water spray park, which will offer 3,600 sq. ft. of fun for children of all ages.
Dunn explained spray parks are designed to be safe and unique play areas, where water is sprayed from structures or ground sprays and then drained away before it can accumulate.
The structures also use an unique triggering system so it only runs when it’s being used—eliminating any significant impact on the local water supply.
And Dunn stressed adjacent to the riverfront playground in Emo is a great location for a spray park.
“Park usage has increased hugely since the installation of the new playground equipment,” he remarked, noting a spray park would encourage more local families from across the district to enjoy the area.
He added it would provide a safe and affordable way for families who don’t own lake property or boats to cool down during the summer months.
And Dunn said there are major potential economic benefits, as well, since no other nearby municipality has a facility like the one the committee has proposed.
“Residents and tourists from all directions will be drawn to Emo to enjoy the spray park—and that’s good for our economy,” he said.
The committee, which includes Glenda Lloyd, Bridget Beck, Crystal Hyatt, Dave Ogilvie, Marnie Redford, Ed Carlson, Michael Loney, and Dunn, already has one fundraising effort on the go so far, with more initiatives on the way.
They are selling tickets on an entertainment package, compete with a Hitachi 50-inch plasma HDTV, a Sony home theatre surround sound system, and a DVD player.
The tickets, which cost $5 each, will be available during Saturday morning’s campaign kick-off, as well as at locations throughout the district.
The winner will be drawn June 30 at 8 p.m. at the Emo fairgrounds.
“We’ve sold over 500 tickets so far, which is great. We’ve got a ways still to go, but we’ve still got four weeks to the draw,” said Dunn.
“It is a great chance at the package.”
The committee also will be starting the sponsorship side of its fundraising.
Dunn explained commemorative bricks will be a part of the design. At this point, the committee has proposed to install a three-foot high brick wall to separate the playground from the water spray park.
The bricks will cost $100 each, including up to 28 characters on two lines, which can be dedicated to family, friends, a business, or in memoriam.
Larger corporate brick options will be available, as well, featuring logos or trademarks. And larger donations will be gratefully accepted, too.
In addition, there will be unique ways for businesses to contribute to the project.
“We’re starting to get some momentum and I’m pretty optimistic we’ll be able to reach our goal quickly,” Dunn remarked.
A brochure has been produced and will be distributed to local residents by the end of this week.
For more information on the endeavour, visit the Emo Spray Park website at www.emospraypark.ca
It is being updated continually and people soon will be able to track the fundraising progress, as well as make donations through the site.