2023 Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest Inclusive Design Winner: Morgan's Inspiration Island

In 2023, we hosted our fourth annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest to award two deserving organizations in the United States an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. One award was for a facility that exemplified inclusive design principles, and the other was need-based for a deserving community that met specific benchmark criteria.

We received some incredible applications and out of many impactful entries, one rose to the front. Today, we’re proud to showcase the Inclusive Design Award winner’s installation: Morgan’s Wonderland for Will’s Hang 10 Harbor located at Morgan’s Inspiration Island in San Antonio, Texas.

What stood out most to our team was the thoughtful and holistic approach to inclusivity. Their Ultra-Accessible™ waterpark considers all abilities so that entire families can play and be together for the whole experience from start to finish.

“Morgan’s Wonderland is a magical place for those with special needs and disabilities and those without to come together in environments that promote Ultra-Accessibility™ and inclusion. It became the world’s first Ultra-Accessible™, fully-inclusive theme park in 2010. Our entirely wheelchair-accessible park features more than 25 elements, including rides, playgrounds, and other attractions. Among the most popular are our colorful carousel, the Whirling Wonder Ferris Wheel, the Sensory Village of storefronts encouraging imaginative play, the Wonderland Express train that travels for almost a mile around our 8-acres, catch-and-release fishing lake, and playscapes with multiple types of swings, including out exceedingly popular wheelchair swings. While we recognize the exceptional qualities of these one-of-a-kind features, it is the outcome of priceless memories and a feeling of belonging that we are most proud of. Families of individuals with special needs interviewed during the creation of Morgan’s Wonderland Park shared that not only would a park be fun and exciting, but most importantly, they wanted a space to enjoy TOGETHER.

The tremendous success of nonprofit Morgan’s Wonderland led to the addition of Ultra-Accessible™ Morgan’s Inspiration Island splash park in 2017. Morgan’s Inspiration Island at Morgan’s Wonderland is the one and only Ultra-Accessible™ Splash Park located in San Antonio, Texas. In keeping with Morgan’s Wonderland’s mission of inclusion and the desire to enable everyone to play, Morgan’s Inspiration Island is like a tropical paradise with five colorful splash pads, a River Boat Adventure Ride, and revolutionary waterproof wheelchairs. Morgan’s Wonderland and Morgan’s Inspiration Island Splash Park has welcomed over 2 million guests form 122 countries. Today, Morgan’s Inspiration Island splash park continues to welcome the most guests compared to the rest of the season.””

— Brooke Kearney, Special Project Officer, Morgan's Wonderland

When asked what winning this grant would mean to their facility, Brooke Kearney who serves as the Special Project Officer at Morgan’s Wonderland said,

“Winning this grant would maintain our mission to provide a fun, clean, and beautiful environment free of physical and economic barriers that all individuals can come to an enjoy regardless of age or ability. Unfortunately, countless children and adults with special needs do not have access to facilities that enable them to enjoy outdoor recreation fully. Nonprofit Morgan’s Wonderland is changing that everyday. Since its inception in 2010, anyone with a special need has been admitted free of charge, no questions asked. Hence, the majority of funding support received from the community underwrites the cost to admit our target population of individuals with special needs and disabilities for free, leaving limited funding to support major capital improvement projects. By winning this grant, Life Floor will contribute to impacting over 100,000 individuals annually through inclusive and Ultra-Accessible™ play.”

— Brooke Kearney, Special Project Officer, Morgan's Wonderland

Our 2023 entrants chose from 6 pre-designed themes that would be tailored to fit their project scope, but we were so moved by this story that we decided to do something more. Our Design Studio created a themed beach motif with a custom Murals element, life-sized custom surfboard Inlays, and other standard Inlays from our Marine set to complement the narrative at the splash pad.

Designed and Copyrighted by Life Floor Studio.

Before: Pour-in-Place Bonded Rubber

After: Life Floor

We can’t wait to hear the stories of how this project will continue to uplift the ways people with all abilities play at Will’s Hang 10 Harbor in San Antonio, Texas. Thank you to Morgan’s Wonderland for entering our contest and for trusting us to surface your Ultra-Accessible™ splash pad!

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About the Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest is one of our team’s favorite annual events. We love giving back to our communities across the United States and seeing the difference our surfaces make. Through this grant contest, our goal is to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful and accessible splash pad surfaces that enhance positive memories for years to come.

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THE 5TH ANNUAL MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST IS
OPEN FOR ENTRIES

Don’t miss these two opportunities to win free Life Floor surfacing for your splash pad!

2023 MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST NEED-BASED WINNER INSTALLATION: John Anderson Park

In 2023, we hosted our fourth annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest to award two deserving organizations in the United States an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. One award was for a facility that exemplified inclusive design principles and the other was need-based for a deserving community that met specific benchmark criteria.

We received an incredible number of thoughtful applications and out of so many deserving entries, one of the entries we received stood out.

Today, we’re proud to showcase the Need-Based Award winner’s installation: John Anderson Park Splash Pad in Grandview, Missouri.

When asked what winning this grant would mean to their community, Jared Elbert said,

“This would mean so much to the community. Grandview, MO, part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, is a minority majority community with a population of nearly 27,000. This is a very strong, tight knit community that is growing but also one with challenges. The median income of Grandview is $48,000/year which means free amenities such as splash pads and playgrounds are of upmost importance. John Anderson park and its splash pad are crucial to youths access to free and safe recreation opportunities.

It can be challenging to maintain the original excitement of a 14 year old splash park. In winning this grant it would allow the community to enhance safety, aesthetics, and bring excitement back to Grandview’s only free splash park. It would increase the quality of life for residents, mean the world to the neighborhoods within walking distance, as well as the community and visitors. ”

— Jared Elbert, Parks & Recreation Director

Before: Broom Finish Stained Concrete

After: Life Floor

“ It would significantly upgrade the safety of the site for guest by switching from concrete to the safer Life Floor, while also reducing liability concerns from a staff perspective. Guests will have a greater piece of mind when allowing their children to utilize the splash park and socialize. It would enhance the beautification and experience by bringing eye catching color and patterns to the park. ”

— Jared Elbert, Parks & Recreation Director

Existing Waterplay spray features from their High Seas Collection laid the groundwork for this immersive experience complete with a sailing ship, whale tail, and palm tree. Four sound sprays are interspersed throughout the amenity where children can activate and listen to different sounds including a whale, dolphin, penguin and seagull. Dynamic ground sprays encourage motion throughout the entire area and our tiles now weave between their features with a treasure hunt surface game designed to excite and inspire imagination.

Our 2023 entrants chose from 6 pre-designed themes that would be tailored to fit their project scope. The city of Grandview chose the Treasure Hunt option which features a bright triangle gradient Pattern in a custom color palette of Bluebird, Turquoise, Seafoam, and Mojave. A mix of Sea Life, Marine, and Treasure Hunt Inlays can be seen across the splash pad in both neutral and complementing colors.

Designed and Copyrighted by Life Floor Studio.

We can’t wait to hear the stories of how this project will continue to uplift and transform the way families play at John Anderson Park in Grandview, Missouri. Thank you to the city of Grandview for entering our contest and for trusting us to surface your community’s splash pad!

Keep an eye out for our project showcase highlighting our Inclusive Design Award winner coming soon!

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About the Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest is one of our team’s favorite annual events. We love giving back to our communities across the United States and seeing the difference our surfaces make. Through this grant contest, our goal is to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful and accessible splash pad surfaces that enhance positive memories for years to come.

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THE 5TH ANNUAL MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST IS
OPEN FOR ENTRIES

Don’t miss these two opportunities to win free Life Floor surfacing for your splash pad!

2022 MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST WINNER'S INSTALLATION: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park

In 2022, we co-hosted our third annual Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces to award a municipality or non-profit organization in the United States with an all-expenses-paid splash pad surface. Our intent with this contest is to uplift communities across the country each year with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents.

We received a record number of submissions and there were many deserving entries, but one of the applications we received stood out:

“‘Is there any place in the county that I can take my toddler to allow them to be comfortable in the water?’ is a frequent question posed to the Chamber of Commerce, Recreation Department, and anyone working with young children. This rural county in northeast Georgia has no public pools, splash pads, or similar venues closer than 30 – 60 minutes of its residents. However, water safety and early experiences are the focus of pediatrician’s guidance and health department PSAs due to statistics about children drowning. Enter the members of the county’s Rotary Club in 2020 who determined the need for a safe, affordable venue to meet the needs of young families and the large number of grandparents who are rearing grandchildren. The Rotary Club partnered with the Madison County Recreation Department to fund the construction of a splash pad at Sammy Haggard Park. Over an 18-month period, the entities worked together on location, design, color scheme to blend with the colors used internationally by Rotary Clubs. Concurrently, the Rotary Club met their goal of $125,000 to bring their dream to reality at the grand opening Memorial Day weekend 2021.

Folks were ecstatic, use far exceeded expectations, and then reality set in. OOPS! The concrete surface gets hot, sunscreen washes off and makes the surface slick, and the rough surface and toddlers’ toes are not compatible. Ensuring the facility is properly sanitized is hampered by the concrete surface’s porosity. It has become clear that specifications were short-sighted when planning an achievable funding campaign for a small group that immediately faced “Covid shutdowns.” The Recreation Department manages the facility well, having developed sanitizing schedules, put in temporary surfaces for walkways to eliminate slips from sunscreen overspray, and ensuring preventive maintenance is prioritized. Revenue loss for the department during the Covid shutdown and, now, the increase in price for supplies and materials required to run the department and rebuild programs eliminates budgeting for a surface for the splash pad in the next several years. A Life Floor surface will resolve the concerns of parents and caregivers who find flip-flops and toddlers playing on a wet surface creates unnecessary bruises and scrapes. A proper surface will, for years to come, preserve the efforts of the Rotary Club and their many donors to provide a much needed and welcomed venue. Without this grant, only stop-gap measures can be used. That reality will undoubtedly result in the deterioration of this one-of-a kind facility at our Department. Our research had concluded that Life Floor met our needs. This grant for the proper surface will ensure our children have the safest and best venue possible.”

- Shelley Parham, Madison County Recreation Director

Before: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park, Concrete Substrate

After: Rotary Splash Island at Sammy Haggard Park, Life Floor Safety Surfacing

This entry resonated with members of the Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces teams who reviewed entries and collaboratively chose this facility as the winner.

Our 2022 Grant Contest entrants chose from 6 unique pre-designed themes that would be custom fit to their project scope. Madison County chose the Under The Sea option which features a beautiful triangle gradient Pattern in our Lagoon Theme. Sea Life and Marine Inlays can be seen across the splash pad in bright contrasting colors such as Limelight, Sunshine, Goldfish, Platypus, and Aqua.

The Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest’s co-host as well as Life Floor’s North American Preferred Installation Partner, Inside Edge Safety Surfaces, completed installation of the new surface in March of 2023. The crew worked with a high degree of professionalism and expertise to create a beautiful final result.

We hope this new safety surface will uplift and transform the way kids play at Rotary Splash Island in Danielsville, Georgia. We can't wait to hear the stories of how this installation will continue to benefit the community for years to come!

We’re thankful for the opportunity to give this deserving community a new Life Floor safety surface and hope for many seasons of fun to come! Thank you to Inside Edge Safety Surfaces for co-hosting this contest with us and for the expert installation.

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THE 4TH ANNUAL MAKE A SPLASH! GRANT CONTEST

The next contest will go live on August 30th. Sign up for notifications so you don’t miss this short entry period and enter for a chance to win an all-expenses paid Life Floor surface for your splash pad.

MAKE A SPLASH! 2021 GRANT WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

In 2020, we co-hosted our first ever Make a SPLASH! Contest with Inside Edge Safety Surfaces that awarded a grand prize grant for Life Floor safety surfacing to Dothan, Alabama for their Andrew Belle Splash Pad. We initiated this contest to uplift communities across the country with beautiful splash pad surfacing designs that add increased safety for residents.

This year, we decided to bring the contest to life again. We received a 177% increase in entries in comparison to last year’s contest from facilities located in 22 different states across the U.S. We saw entries that wanted to make their splash pads safer (56%), more beautiful (35%), and more accessible (5%) for all types of visitors. We were overwhelmed by the number of cities and organizations making strides towards improving their communities and striving to make a positive difference. 

One entry in particular stood out to our teams. This entry showed the clear passion that the staff has for their community and the dedication they have towards making it safer and more fun for everyone. 

We are excited to announce the winner of the 2021 Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest:

WELLS PARK SPRAY PAD IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

On Friday December 10th, Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces called the city to the deliver the news that they had won the full grant for their splash pad upgrade. Josh Herbert, Aquatics Division Manager answered the phone and said, “Oh my gosh. That’s incredible. I came upon it in an email, and I said that would be really great! So, I took a bit of time to build it together, and, hey, never hurts to enter just in case… I can’t wait to spread the good news!"

Thank you to the city of Albuquerque for sharing your story. We look forward to collaborating together to provide a new Life Floor splash pad surface to your city!

Once installation is complete in 2022, we will be sharing all of the details behind Wells Park Spray Pad alongside photos of their renovation.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

Beyond the grand prize winner, Life Floor and Inside Edge Safety Surfaces decided to recognize two other facilities whose stories also stood out. These facilities have been awarded substantial partial grants towards the resurfacing of their splash pads.

St. Cloud Commons All-Inclusive Splash Pad in Huntington, WV

This facility’s dedication to creating a fully accessible splash pad for their community showed the passion their staff has for creating positive memories for all people.

Thank you to Huntington, WV Parks and Recreation for your thoughtful submission!

Little Haiti Soccer Splash Pad in
Miami, FL

The importance of community shined through this entry. The staff that manages this splash pad truly cares about the development and safety of the children within their community.

Many thanks to Miami, FL for entering our contest to improve their community!

PARTIAL GRANTS

With so many deserving entries, we have decided to also offer smaller grants. Together, all grants total over $470,000 split amongst communities across the United States who entered our Make a SPLASH! Grant Contest.

Thank you to everyone who entered! We look forward to serving all of these communities.

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2020 Make a SPLASH Grant Contest Grand Prize Winner