When the public pool in
St. Johns had to be closed because the aging infrastructure was just too costly to fix, some citizens came up with the creative idea of building a less expensive and more fun spray park in its place. If that plan sounds innovative, that’s nothing compared to how they kicked off the project’s fundraising.
On April 25, Readers Digest paid St. John’s a visit to deliver a $10,000 check to be used toward the project. The town voted themselves into sixth place in the publication’s “We Hear You America” to earn the hearty contribution.
And it all happened when one citizen spoke up.
“Karla Palmer informed our parks and recreation director that this contest was going on,” says St. John’s city manager Dennis LaForest. “She thought this might be a good opportunity to get a splash park going.”
She was correct. Though $10,000 may only be a portion of the projected $200,000-$300,000 necessary to build the park, the enthusiasm generated by the contest could prove to be a powerful start to the
fundraising campaign.
“It certainly charged up our elected officials,” LaForest says. “They’ve given permission to allocate $50,000 towards the endeavor.”
If fundraising continues, LaForest hopes to see the park completed in one to three years.
Source: Dennis LaForest, City of Saint John's
Writer: Natalie Burg, News Editor
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