The Eureka Springs Community Center held a kickoff party on Thursday, April 20, to open its fundraising campaign for a splash pad — Phase II in the community center’s campus development plan.

As it turns out, the fundraising drive is already off to a fast start.

Fatima VanZant, a member of the Eureka Springs Community Center Foundation board of directors, announced that $27,500 had already been raised — a total that increased as individuals delivered donations for the project to VanZant during the kickoff celebration. The $27,500 included donations of $10,000 each from Arvest Bank and Ben E. Keith; $5,000 from Vance and Lori Hunter; and $2,000 from Steve and Dawn Moore. Those donations were represented at the kickoff party with oversized checks raised high in the air.

First-grade students from Eureka Springs Elementary School were on hand for the kickoff party, enjoying lunch provided by Arvest Bank and Catered Creations and cheering loudly as VanZant announced plans for the splash pad. The area where the splash pad will be located was marked off with orange flags.

“This is going to be place where we can come and we can gather and we can grow, on a city that was founded by water, with water, and we’re going to add some more water,” VanZant said to cheers from the students.

The fundraising goal for the splash pad is $285,000. Later, plans call for the addition of a pavilion, restrooms and a shaded gathering area, Phase III in the development of the community center campus. Individuals and businesses who would like to donate can bring your donation to the front desk at the community center and mark it Splash Pad or Pavilion; attend any of the community center’s fundraising events; drop a donation at Arvest Bank under the Eureka Springs Community Center Foundation account with Splash Pad in the memo line; or donate on the donate page of ESCommunity.org.