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Kinsmen Water Park voting preparations slide into PA

Jul 4, 2014 | 6:44 AM

With the national vote to get $100,000 for the Kinsmen Water Park only weeks away, the community and City of Prince Albert are arranging promotional events.

Shannon Hurl, the woman who first nominated the water park for TSN’s Kraft Celebration Tour (KCT) and committee member of the Save Our Summer, Save Our Slides group, was in a meeting on Thursday to figure out those events.

“It [making it into the top 10] was exciting. Actually I’ve known since June 13, so keeping it quiet was really hard,” she said.

She said she was disappointed the slides were shut down and saw a commercial about the Kraft tour and decided to give it a shot.

“There’s a lot of community groups that do a lot for the town and I think, as a member of a another community organization, like I know how much they get tapped out and if I can help out by doing this instead that would be great,” she said.

To make sure as many people vote as possible, the group and the City are working together.

“Right now we’re trying to discuss hotspot areas, so people can go and vote in those areas and they’re [the City] helping out with promotions and things like this. They’re helping a lot,” she said.

In addition, on July 10 they’ll be handing out cards informing people where and how to vote, as well as on July 17 at KidzFest.

As somebody who has lived in Prince Albert for a while, she said she has a lot of memories associated with the water park.

“My first date with my now husband was after the day at the brand new Kinsmen Water Park,” she said.

She also remembers living across from the park and packing up her kids in the wagon to head over for a day in the water.

“It was just, if you couldn’t get to the lake and it was a hot day, you went to the park,” she said.

“It’s a good place and it’s a good place to have as the centre of PA. If you look at where it draws from, like for once it’s something that everyone comes to PA to do is go to the water park.”

The KCT awards money to communities who demonstrate a sense of pride, perseverance and love of sport. The winner will receive a total $100,000.

Voting takes place over the course of two days starting July 21 and Hurl said you can vote as many times as you want.

After the competition TSN will be visiting the Kinsmen Water Park on Aug. 20 for a party that Hurl said sounds “colossal.”

For more information, visit the Save Our Summer, Save Our Slides Facebook page

Earlier this year the four water slides were shut down due to safety issues. Repairing them would come at an estimated $260,000.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84