Splash Valley Water Park to open Memorial Day weekend; more lifeguards needed for summer season

ROANOKE Co., Va. (WDBJ) - Ready to make a splash this summer?

Splash Valley Water Park is only a few days from opening for the summer season. The water park opens Memorial Day weekend to help usher in the unofficial start of summer.

Roanoke County Parks and Recreation leaders say they are ready to welcome back thousands of families this summer.

Officials say there will be new concession items on the menu this year. They’re looking to work with a pizza vendor and have special events, like hosting a DJ on Memorial Day.

If you plan to visit, officials remind parents to get an official Coast Guard-approved life jacket for young children. Life jackets are available at the park in case they’re needed.

Parks and rec leaders want families to have fun but know safety is a top priority.

“It is great when I come out here to see all the patrons who are smiling, having a great time as families coming out visiting the water park, you know, we see folks from all over the region, some from a couple of hours away so it’s really a great destination to be one of the premier aquatics destinations here in the Roanoke Valley,” said Alex North with Roanoke County Parks Recreation & Tourism.

The water park and Green Ridge Recreation Center are also looking to hire more lifeguards. Applications are open to anyone 15 and older. Training and certifications are done both online and in-house.

“We do an online course that they need to complete prior to coming to the first day of class. And then everything that they learn online is translated into water. And we will be in the water and practicing CPR skills, as well as practicing rescues four times during that week. We do it on four days and then one of those days we go to another facility that has deep water to practice all of our deep water rescues, since we do have deep water at Splash Valley.”

They are also offering a $500 bonus for new lifeguards. After employees’ first 100 hours, they’ll receive a $250 bonus and after 250 hours, they’ll receive another $250.

Click here to check daily admission prices for Splash Valley Water Park.

The water park opens Saturday, May 27, and will be open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. throughout the summer.

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