Take sunshine and cloudless skies and add sunscreen, children and 768,000 gallons of water. That could only equal fun in the sun at Splash in the Boro’s preview day.
    The water park at Mill Creek offered the interested an opportunity to enjoy a weekend in the water before the seven-day-a-week schedule begins next Saturday.

    Chad Avret, operations manager for the recreation department, estimated that the park would see 1,000 to 1,200 people for the opening day.
    “We expect the typical number to show up, but with the cooler temperatures in the morning the crowd may be slim at first,” said Avret.
    The roar of the water, music, screams and giggles from kids, and the shouting of parents signaled that the day would be anything but slim.
    Rabon Calhoun, a 9-year-old regular visitor, was very excited to be back at the water park. Calhoun’s brother, Dillon, was the 100,000th visitor at the park last year. His whole family was given season passes for this summer, and they plan to go regularly.
    “I’ve been out here a lot. It’s really, really fun,” said Calhoun.
    Many adults and families become members  of the park each year. Lorie Williams, a third year member, was laying in the sun watching her son swim in the pool. Williams said she enjoys the atmosphere and has made many friends.
    “I’ve made friends from several of the other members of the park,” said Williams. “It’s very nice out here, this area should be proud of what they have.”
    A few of the attractions at Splash in the Boro are the slides, the lazy river, the swimming pools, the rope monkey bars, the play pool, and of course plenty of chairs and umbrellas for those who need a break from the sun.
    Although many families came together, parents and their children weren’t the only people who enjoyed the park. Teenagers, adults of all ages, and college students came out for the day as well. One group of people even held a birthday party alongside the pool.
    Velma Mosley was sitting in a chair under an umbrella enjoying herself and watching her children play. She and her sisters were going to make the day a family affair with a total of 15 kids.
    “We are very excited about the water park and being here on the first day,” said Mosley. “This is part of two  of my kids’ birthday treat.”
    Splash in the Boro gets more attention than local residents believe. Kris Lantz and her family just moved to Statesboro from Virginia, and part of the reason her two boys were so excited to be here was because of the water park.
    “The boys saw the park and loved the look of it,” said Lantz. “We moved into a house very close to the park, and they were mad we didn’t move to Statesboro sooner.”
It’s all about the water
    Chad Avret said there are 768,000 gallons of water in the park at all times and there is a steady stream of water pumped into the park to maintain that level.
    Aquatics Manager Steve Brown said and Avret confirmed that the park uses almost 4 million gallons of water for the 90-day season. Brown said that some of the water goes back to the city, some is evaporated, and the water is used to fill the pools.
    This year the park hopes to once again hit the 100,000 mark and surpass it. Each year more visitors are attracted to the park, and many drive more than an hour to go.
    For more information on Splash in the Boro, call the office at (912) 489-3000.