By: Hannah Davis
See story shared on MyNDNow.com here.
It may have been 100 degrees, but that didn't stop Isabel Flores and her family from lining up two hours early to be the first into the new 4 Bears Water Park for opening day.
"I want to go on the slides and probably go on the lazy river," says Flores, a New Town resident.
The new park is part of an initiative to get residents outside and moving.
"All the things that we're doing relate to trying to provide recreation for families and recreation for our children and make them active. Got problems with diabetes on this reservation, and so we want to continue to promote healthy lifestyles," says Mark Fox, MHA Nation Chairman.
It's been about a decade since the New Town area has last had a public pool to call their own, and although they are close to Lake Sakakawea, the chairman wanted to provide a safe alternative.
"This is a huge lake and it's not always safe, so if we build this, we have a safe place: lifeguards, kids can swim safely. We don't want them just venturing out swimming anywhere along the lake," says Fox.
12 lifeguards will rotate throughout the day to keep watch in the heat.
"Lots of sunscreen, stay hydrated. It's very easy to get dehydrated because you think you're in the water and you're hydrated up, but -no, dehydration happens quite often," says Dennis Bunner, Lead Lifeguard.
"It could've been raining, it could've been 50 degrees: this is North Dakota, but here -it is hot- but this is what it's for," says Fox.
Staying cool at the pool.
The water park will be open every day from 11:00AM to 7:00PM from now until Labor Day Weekend, and it only costs $5 to get in.