New Splash Pad Brings Lasting Investment to Chambers County Community

The Great Outdoors Fund, 1PointFive and Chambers County come together to create new outdoor recreation opportunity for local families

CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas — Some projects change the landscape. Others become part of a community’s everyday life. At Gregory Park in Chambers County, a new splash pad is preparing to do both, creating a free, family-friendly place where children can play, families can gather, and neighbors can enjoy time outdoors for years to come. 

The splash pad is the result of a private-public partnership between Chambers County, The Great Outdoors Fund (TGOF), and 1PointFive, a subsidiary of Occidental. Chambers County provided funding to construct the splash pad. Funding from 1PointFive, which is developing the Bluebonnet Sequestration Hub in Chambers County, enabled the county to make several enhancements to the project, including an upgraded concrete foundation and spray features designed to create a larger, more inclusive, and durable facility. 

Stakeholders and volunteers came together on Wednesday to put the finishing touches on the splash pad and clean up the surrounding park before celebrating the people who helped make it possible. 

“This is one of those projects where the real impact won’t be measured on the day we finish it,” said Lori McCullough, Founder and CEO of TGOF. “It will be measured in the years to come, in summer afternoons spent running through the water, birthday celebrations, families gathering together, and kids growing up with a great place to play right in their own community. That’s what makes investments like this so meaningful.” 

Gregory Park serves an area where access to free, quality outdoor recreation has been limited. The new splash pad is designed to help address that need by creating a safe, welcoming outdoor amenity for children and families. 

For Precinct 1 Chambers County Commissioner Jimmy Gore, the project reflects what can happen when a community identifies a need and partners come together to help meet it.

“We knew this community needed more opportunities for families and kids to get outside,” Gore said. “This splash pad gives them that, and the great thing is that it isn’t just for one summer or one group of kids. It’s something families throughout this community will be able to enjoy year after year, and we’re excited to see it become a reality.” 

“Being a good neighbor means listening to communities and looking for opportunities where we can make a positive difference,” said Robert Bravman, Director of Sequestration Development for 1PointFive. “We’re excited to collaborate with Chambers County and The Great Outdoors Fund to create a space where families can come together and build new memories.” 

McCullough said that final day of work is also an important reminder of the larger purpose behind TGOF’s projects. 

“We talk a lot about investing in public spaces, but ultimately we’re investing in what happens in those spaces,” McCullough said. “A splash pad is concrete and water features when you build it. What comes afterward is the important part. It becomes laughter, friendships, family time, and memories. That’s the return on investment that can last for generations.”