Brooksville Splash Pad Makes Its Debut

A ribbon cutting was held on Friday, November 8th for the new City of Brooksville and Kiwanis Club of Brooksville splash pad opening soon at Tom Varn Park. A soft-opening is planned for Friday, November 16th.

Mayor Blake Bell opened the ceremony, thanking Kiwanis, City leaders, and staff for their contributions.

Brooksville Kiwanis President John Ehlenbeck noted that it made sense for Kiwanis to partner with the City for the splash pad, carrying on a legacy of a city pool that was once near the corner of Bell Avenue and Oak Street. It was built and maintained in a joint agreement with Kiwanis and the City of Brooksville until it closed many years ago.

Judge Dick Tombrink, President of the Kiwanis Foundation, credited Geraldine “Gerrie” Bishop for the funding of the project. “An American success story,” Bishop attended Pasco Hernando Community College in 1979 at age 39. She went on to attend law school at the University of Florida. After her graduation in 1986, Bishop had a distinguished career with the Hernando County Court and the Hernando County Bar Association. She held several positions with Kiwanis from 2003 until her death in 2017. A significant portion of her donations to Kiwanis were used to fund the splash pad.