Wake Forest raises money to build town's first sprayground

The sprayground, which uses water and electronic controls to spray and dump water on people and are lots of fun for kids, would be built at Holding Park, which also is home to the town's seasonal pool. The pool, at 133 W. Owen Ave., opened for the season on Saturday.

A cookout was held on Saturday at the park to raise money for the project, which is expected to cost about $50,000.

In a press release, Ruben Wall, the town's parks and recreation department director, said a sprayground would allow the town to expand its aquatics programming. Spraygrounds allow for creative play, but require less supervision than a typical swimming pool.

Right now, the town's pool is open from Memorial Day until late August. But a sprayground could stay open from as early as April to early September, Wall said in the release.

Wall tells me in an email that there is no set timeline for the project. It all depends on how well the fundraising goes. The sooner organizers reach the $50,000 goal, the sooner the town will have a sprayground, he said.

If you'd like to donate to the cause, the Kiwanis Club is accepting monetary contributions. All donations are tax deductible and can be mailed to Wake Forest Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 927, Wake Forest, N.C. 27588. Donations are also accepted at Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St. Checks should be made out to the Wake Forest Kiwanis Foundation - Sprayground Project.