SANDUSKY: Some kids from Akron were among the first Thursday evening to take the plunge at Cedar Point’s new water park.
As part of a fundraiser for the LeBron James Family Foundation, water park enthusiasts had the chance to purchase $50 tickets to be the first to ride down the new slides and check out the other attractions at the new Cedar Point Shores Water Park.
And thankfully for those at the park on a rainy and chilly Thursday, the water inside the park’s former Soak City area is heated.
Cedar Point General Manager Jason McClure said the partnership with James is a special one and the park is always glad to host kids from the foundation at a preview of new attractions and also for a fun day at the park later in the summer.
“We’re excited to do this every summer,” he said.
The park’s partnership with the NBA All-Star originated a few years ago when James was floating the idea of leaving the Miami Heat to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
McClure sent out a tweet encouraging him to come back to Northeast Ohio and even offered to rename one of the park’s coasters after James should he return to play for the Cavaliers.
The park instead worked out a partnership with the foundation that also includes hosting thousands of Akron schoolchildren and their families who participate in the foundation’s program for a day of fun each summer.
Taking center stage for Thursday night’s event were 23 teen ambassadors from the Akron foundation who work one-on-one with kids in the program encouraging them to get good grades and stay in school.
Ambassador Dameona Meriweather, 18, who just graduated from Akron’s Early College Program, said the financial support from places like Cedar Point and James make all the difference in making a difference for Akron’s youth.
“It is hard to put into words all the things LeBron James does for Northeast Ohio,” said Meriweather, who plans to attend Ohio State.
Riley Chaney agrees.
The 18-year-old is about to graduate from Kenmore High School and said the experiences he has had through the foundation — from working with kids to traveling to do service work in New Orleans — have been life-changing.
“Working with the foundation has given me a passion for volunteering,” he said.
He hopes to take this passion with him when he starts his studies at the University of Akron in the fall.
“I am more appreciative of the things I have in my own life now,” he said.
Although the weather was a bit rough during the ribbon-cutting, ambassadors from the foundation got to spend a fun afternoon wandering around the amusement park before taking the stage in the evening.
They all swayed and danced with the amusement park’s own ambassadors Charlie Brown and Lucy as We Are Family was played over speakers.
The first year of the partnership raised some $126,000 for the foundation when Cedar Point auctioned off seats on the conversion of the stand-up Mantis coaster into the sit-down Rougarou, with one person bidding $760 for the chance to ride in one of the front seats.
Last year, the park offered tickets for the first rides on its record-breaking Valravn roller coaster and raised another $73,000 for the charity.
The proceeds from this year’s fundraiser are still being tallied.
The revamped 18-acre water park features several new attractions including the Point Plummet, a six-story aqua-drop slide, and Portside Plunge, an inner tube attraction. For younger kids, there is the Lakeslide Landing with 12 kid-size water slides.
The water park is set to open to the public Saturday.
Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.