ALL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY K-12 STUDENTS ENCOURAGED TO ENTER WATER CONSERVATION POSTER CONTEST

Hillsborough County K-12 students are encouraged to channel their inner artist, blend it with a passion for water conservation and enter the 2023 Drop Savers Water Conservation Poster Contest, which is sponsored by Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa.

All Hillsborough County students from kindergarten through 12th grade can enter the contest by creating a poster depicting water conservation. Each student who enters a poster in the contest must create an original idea that portrays water conservation in a slogan and/or drawing form. Each poster will be judged on the message, creativity, originality and artistic ability. The poster must be drawn on 8.5 by 11-inch white paper and may be drawn vertically or horizontally. Students may use crayons, paint, colored pencils or markers. No highlighters, photos or computer graphics are permitted.

There are five divisions in the contest:

• Division one: Kindergarten and first grade students.

• Division two: Second and third grade students.

• Division three: Fourth and fifth grade students.

• Division four: All middle school grades.

• Division five: All high school grades.

Each school will select one winner from each division for submission to the local level. A panel of water conservation specialists from Hillsborough County Water Resources and the City of Tampa Water Department will judge all school winning posters on the message, creativity, originality and artistic ability and choose a first, second and third-place local winner for each division. The first-place local winners will advance to the statewide level, judged by the Florida Section of the American

Water Works Association (FSAWWA).

The submission deadline for the local-level judging is Wednesday, March 1. Learn more about the Drop Savers Poster Contest rules on the Drop Savers Poster Contest webpage at http:// www.hcflgov.net/.

The first-place local winners for each division will win:

• A bottle-filling station installation at their school (this is only available to public schools).

• Customized reusable water bottles imprinted with their artwork to share with their classmates.

• Posters of their artwork to take home and for display in their art classroom.

• A water conservation retrofit kit (low-flow aerators and showerhead, toilet leak detection dye tablets, hose nozzle and more).

• Inclusion of their artwork on water conservation awareness posters displayed above bottle-filling stations throughout Hillsborough County (Find locations at www.hcflgov.net/waterconservation).

• Inclusion of their artwork on promotional materials for future contests.

• Advancement to the statewide-level FSAWWA Drop Savers Poster Contest for additional prizes.

In addition, first, second and thirdplace local winners from each division will get their artwork displayed on www. hcflgov.net and www.tampa.gov. All participants will receive a certificate of appreciation.

Students who enter the statewide competition can win gifts cards, a plaque with poster, a water conservation kit and more.

For information about the 2023 Drop Savers Water Conservation Poster Contest, email waterconservation@hcflgov. net or call 813-612-7705.

New Interactive Splash And Play

Adventure Island, Tampa’s premier water park, will open for the 2023 season on Saturday, March 4, and the park’s newest addition, Shaka-Laka Shores, opens in late March. The new splash and play zone, located in the heart of Adventure Island, will feature an area with 25 individual elements and a central kid-friendly play structure bound to entertain and engage even the youngest of guests. Shaka-Laka Shores will greet guests as they enter the park and showcase the waterpark’s overarching tropical paradise theme.

The newest addition will have more than two dozen playful elements and a variety of interactive aquatic components, all within a zero-depth area — ideal for smaller kids — as well as additional shaded areas. The newly constructed area will also house three new private cabanas featuring convenient access to the new area. Shaka-Laka Shores joins a comprehensive list of exciting water slides, Endless Surf’s 17,000-squarefoot wave pool, an additional kid-friendly option in Splash Attack and more.

“Shaka-Laka Shores’ vibrant and interactive elements are bound to provide our

Staf Report youngest guests with a playful space to splash and explore,” said Neal Thurman, park president of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island. “Shaka-Laka Shores will bundle the elements of excitement and inter- activity to serve as another great option for families experiencing Adventure Island.”

The opening of Shaka-Laka Shores, along with recently opened attractions Rapids Racer and Wahoo Remix, is part of the waterpark’s largest expansion in more than four decades. Guests are quickly immersed in a revitalized and vibrant theme from a newly designed front entrance and carried over into the park with new lounging areas, additional cabanas and even new refreshment locations, such as the full-service Hang Ten Tiki Bar.

Adventure Island’s Annual Pass is the best way to enjoy an entire year of family fun under the sun, including the new Shaka-Laka Shores and exciting seasonal events.

Visit https://adventureisland.com/ to purchase tickets and learn more about the Annual Pass program benefits, new events, special deals and future announcements.

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