It’s official! The Mount Forest Lions Club has written their last cheque of $16,000 towards the town's splash pad.

The splash pad was completed in 2019, however, it took years of tireless fundraising efforts from the Lions Club to raise the funds they contributed, so residents can enjoy it.

Lions Club President Marty Young says the support the club received from the community was incredible, and the project was completed a year ahead of time, when Young thought it would take all of 2019 to raise the funds.

“It really was incredible the way the community came together to donate to the splash pad," Young said. "We were set up here at the [Home Hardware] store and watching [all] the little kids come in with their birthday money and ten dollars bills just to donate, because they wanted a splash pad too."

Young says the club donated $50,000 towards the splash pad. However, the splash pad isn’t quite officially completed.

Wellington North Coun. Sherry Burke says some additional pathway bricks received as donations were just laid down. But, the hope for 2021 is for a sponsorship sign.

“It may even happen this fall, but I don’t want to get everybody’s hopes up," Burke said. "But we’re hoping to have a big splash over there in 2021, a real community event because the community was so involved in this project."

She says she hopes to have the Lions Club host a grand opening reveal in the new year, with their new sponsorship sign.

Burke says the next project the town will work on will be to build an outdoor pool. She adds discussions about the pool have only been preliminary.

The Mount Forest splash pad on a chilly October day. Photo by: Chris Holden

Wellington North Coun. Sherry Burke: