Attraction located in veterans park
By Holly Neumann
The splash pad in the Manawa Area Veterans Freedom Park will reopen Memorial Day weekend.
Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, said John Smith, a member of the city’s parks committee.
“This has been a wonderful addition to our community and has been very well received by children and parents alike,” he said. “It gives our parents with young children an opportunity to be able to talk to other parents while their children interact with each other.”
There will be no restrictions in place due to COVID-19, Smith said.
“We ask that people take the precautions they need in order to feel safe and to also show courtesy to other people using the splash pad who may not have the same beliefs that you do,” he said.
Improvements visitors can expect to see over the summer include the addition of a sidewalk from the parking lot directly to the splash pad, two pergolas over the outside seating area and a couple of outside picnic tables under the pergolas.
“We had hoped to have the bridge done this summer and the parking lot surfaced,” Smith said. “However due to the increased price of materials, we feel as though this may be two projects that have to wait one more year.”
There is no charge to use the splash pad, however, anyone interested in making a donation to the facility so that improvements can continue to be made can mail them to Manawa Area Veterans Freedom Park, P.O. Box 247, Manawa, WI 54949.
Upcoming fundraisers for the park include a golf outing in August and an end-of-summer car show in September.
“We’re very thankful to City of Manawa residents as well as the outside community for everything they have done to allow us the funding to build this beautiful tribute to our veterans and their families,” Smith said.