A dedicated non-profit organization here in Madison is making a splash with a big campaign that promises to elevate Madison’s recreational landscape!
Madison Visionary Partners, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization, recently announced their newest campaign to bring a state-of-the-art splash pad to Madison. Their preferred location for the splash pad is within the future Sunshine Oaks development, which is a 30-acre farm off of Mose Chapel Road that the city purchased in 2022. (Fun fact: The city has actually purchased 100 acres of green space in the last couple of years to keep up with the growth of the city!)
Sunshine Oaks will have a disc golf course, pavilions, a playground, plenty of green space, and hopefully, a splash pad. This location is preferred due to parking options and existing infrastructure, though other locations are currently being considered as well.
MVP Executive Director Melanie Thornton shares that she and her board are set out to bring a 5,000 sq ft splash pad that quenches the community’s thirst for something of this caliber. Beyond the water elements, MVP would like the splash pad to be complemented by pavilions and benches.
“Our vision for this is that it’ll be a destination in our community. It’ll be a place to have gatherings and where food trucks can park too.”
When asked what motivates MVP to take on a campaign like this, Thornton first shares that she and fellow board members draw motivation from their own family desires as well as foresight for the community as a whole.
“This is something that we wanted when our kids were younger,” she shares. “We see it as an opportunity to provide the current and future kids in Madison with a great activity!”
Thornton cites that 28% of Madison residents are under the age of 18, so a youth-focused amenity is something they view as much needed.
Additionally, Thornton says that a splash pad could be a tremendous “economic engine” for the city that boosts local finances and helps keep more money in Madison.
Madison Visionary Partners understands that investing in innovative recreational facilities such as a premiere splash pad can have a substantial positive impact on the local economy. By bringing something desirable within city limits, Madison can attract visitors from neighboring areas, generating revenue that will circulate within the community.
In addition to bringing visitors from other communities, this recreational area will invite residents that live here in Madison to spend their time and money right here in their own backyard rather than traveling to other communities to find the fun. Keeping more money within the city can lead to increased revenue which allows the city to invest in important services and infrastructure.
“If people have to pack up their kids and leave the city limits, it’s a missed opportunity for them to spend their time and money in Madison,” says Thornton.
Finally, Thornton says that MVP is motivated by the city’s residents who identified a splash pad as their number one recreational desire according to a Madison Parks and Rec survey in May 2023.
“This is clearly something that our community wants and we are excited that the city gave us the greenlight to begin fundraising,” said Thornton.
To bring this vision to life, Madison Visionary Partners is launching a variety of donation tiers to engage the community in the project’s realization. Donors will have the opportunity to contribute at levels that suit their capacity, all while enjoying the benefit of tax-deductible contributions. By rallying around this initiative, residents, businesses, and stakeholders can collectively make a substantial impact on Madison’s recreational landscape and future.
To learn more about the campaign to bring a splash pad to Madison, click here or visit https://www.mvpmadison.org/splashpad.
MVP’s mission is to connect people who care with causes that matter to enrich the quality of life in the City of Madison. This non-profit earned the platinum seal of transparency, which assures donors of the reliability of their contributions. MVP is continually on a mission to take on projects that thrive on grants and donor backing, thus freeing up the city’s resources for essential infrastructure upgrades. MVP collaborates closely with the city to pinpoint projects that require philanthropic backing to achieve success.
Images provided by Madison Visionary Partners as inspiration only and do not depict exact renderings
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