RUSSIA — The Village of Russia opened a highly-anticipated splash pad on June 4 in Russia Community Park, and a new pavilion was opened for rent starting June 15.

Russia Village Council Member Brandon Simon said that this project was inspired by a community member with a desire to see change in the community park. Offering financial support, this gave the Russia Village Council the push to start brainstorming ways to create a space for all ages. They decided on a splash pad and pavilion.

After the idea of these projects were born, the Russia Village Council applied for a grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This grant is called the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

According to their website, the fund “provides up to 50 percent reimbursement assistance for state and local government subdivisions (townships, villages, cities, counties, park districts, joint recreation districts, and conservancy districts) for the acquisition, development, and rehabilitation of recreational areas.” Senator Sherrod Brown announced they received the funding in August 2023.

“Ohio’s community parks give Ohioans a safe place to be active outdoors and gather with their neighbors,” Brown said in a release. “All neighborhoods should have access to quality parks, and this investment is welcome news for the Village of Russia.”

Through this grant, Russia was awarded $500,000 and were able to supplement the rest of the cost with fundraisers, local business donations, and private donations from members of the community.

“I would say the most difficult part was just trying to ensure that we were delivering something for our community members that they would be able to enjoy and use, so one of the things we did prior to making any final decisions was survey all our community members,” Simon said. “We did a very comprehensive survey, and we used that to gauge the needs and wants and the acceptance of these two projects within our community. And we are happy to say that we had over an 85 percent acceptance rate of the projects.”

Splash pads have become more and more prevalent in small town parks because of their safety and the fact that they provide a cool place for children to play in the summer that requires much less water.

A new pavilion provides the community with a space to host birthdays, wedding showers, graduation parties, family reunions: a space that is beneficial for everybody.

“These two projects aligned with our mission: to have a great place to live, work and play. To attract new people to Russia and retain the people we have,” Simon said.

Simon said an open house event is being planned for later this summer.

Reach Sidney Daily News reporter Anna Edmiston at 937-538-4825.