ASHLAND – Ashland has never had a pool party like this.
That was pretty much the consensus as hundreds of kids and their families visited the city’s Brookside Park pool for “The Big Splash.”
“We have family fun nights and night swims, but this is by far the biggest party we’ve had,” said pool manager Missy Dropsey.
Dropsey credited Mayor Matt Miller and Community Outreach Coordinator Amanda Patterson with providing the funding for and putting together the inaugural edition of what city leaders hope will become an annual summer tradition.
At Miller’s direction, city staff filled the pool with more than 2,000 rubber ducks and hundreds of beach balls. They also decked the pool area with colorful umbrellas and balloons.
Among the most noteworthy additions for Thursday’s pool party were an oversized, inflatable ducky and a giant beach ball as well as inflatable “hamster balls,” which kids could climb inside and run around in as they floated on the water.
Beside the kiddie pool, young children posed for pictures with a “real, live mermaid.”
Families enjoyed not only free admission to the pool but also free refreshments, including hot dogs cooked by city council members and volunteers, frozen yogurt from EVA’s Treats and snow cones from Kona Ice. Each kid also received a free Hawaiian-style lei and other giveaways like sunglasses, candy and bubbles.
About 100 people were lined up and waiting at the gate when the pool opened at 11 a.m., and a steady stream of families came throughout the day.
Each hour, when kids were required to vacate the pool for safety breaks, lifeguards participated in hamster ball races.
Ashland Police officers Adam Wolbert and Bradley Scarl joined in the fun, racing inside the hamster balls. Not be outdone, Ashland firefighter Chris Schmidt and city council president Steve Workman each took a leap off the high dive.
“It’s been fun and really quite a spectacle. Judging by everyone’s excitement and participation, it’s been a hit,” said Miller, who traded in his tie for a lei and spent the day poolside, greeting people and making announcements.
Miller said he often hears people lament that there are not enough activities for young people and kids in Ashland.
Along with the “Let’s Glow Golfing” event the city hosted in June, Thursday’s pool party was an attempt to combat that attitude.
“We want Ashland to be a great place to live where families can have unique experiences like you’ll find nowhere else,” Miller said.
Both events were made possible with funding from grants from Samaritan Hospital Foundation and Ashland County Community Foundation as well as private donations.
As a couple who recently moved to town walked through the park Thursday, they were pleased to hear music and excitement coming from the pool area. They wondered aloud, “Is it always like this?”
A longtime Ashland resident responded by telling them that no, not every day in Ashland brings an extravagant pool party.
“But we’re getting a lot more stuff like this,” she added.
