Fountain Inn’s latest project has arrived. The Splash Pad, a kid friendly, free, water attraction is now open to the public on Main Street. According to Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce President, Whitney Ferguson, the Golden Strip Leadership program along with Simpsonville and Fountain Chamber of Commerce’s, embarked on this community project as a way to “give back to the city of Fountain Inn.” Their program raised $125,000 to build the Splash Pad. Kyle McMackin, owner of Main Street Insurance, donated $5,000 to help fund the project in hopes of creating a great piece of entertainment and pride for Main Street. President Ferguson also expresses gratitude to Greenville Water for their $25,000 donation towards the Splash Pad. Ferguson hopes the project and the amusement for families will support Fountain Inn through its ongoing changes as a city.
Wanda and Scott Kohler, owners of the Ice Cream Fountain, say the attraction will bring economic opportunity to Fountain Inn and that it will help multiple businesses on Main Street flourish as the area continues to build itself into a family friendly environment. The Ice Cream Fountain is located right across the street from the Pad to help the family cool down on these hot summer days. The Pad will feature safety signs, lights, a mural, a list of rules, and is open to the public from 8 am to 11 pm. Once the Splash Pad is open, pressing the “Water button” will trigger the water to start and will stay on for 5 minutes. President Ferguson says the biggest complaint from families is the concrete floor design, which was installed to prevent children and adults from slipping on the wet surface. She advised bringing water shoes or something useful to protect your feet from concrete before entering the Pad.
The Golden Strip Leadership program will begin classes again in August. To learn more or to register, visit the Simpsonville, Fountain Inn, and newly added Mauldin Chambers’ websites. You can also find them on Facebook or call 864-862-4675. Ferguson says that if it were not for the program, the Splash Pad would not be in effect in Fountain Inn and that their hard work and determination to build a better city has paid off with the latest addition to Main Street fun.
The grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will be on August 21st. The community is welcome to attend and check out the latest water attraction downtown. Special thanks to the diligent volunteers, gracious sponsors, and talented engineers, families can now come out for a day of water fun downtown. After they leave the Splash Pad, they can end the day with a great dinner or a heat quenching ice cream treat.
- By Parker Neely♦
Is the splash pad open this year?