WHY
We are grateful to live in the Yellowstone River Valley. Water flows through our community bringing life, health, and refreshment. Since early settlements, water has been a gathering place and it remains one of our best recreational commodities. The pools in town were few and far between, making accessibility for families and children limited. It became clear: Billings needed another pool!
WHAT
Aquatic Center Elements:
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Zero-depth-entry swimming pool
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3-story water slides
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enclosed flume
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open flume
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Wave generator
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Large interactive play feature
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Current channel
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Toddler pool with play features
Community Center:
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5,600 sq. ft. facility
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Lobby
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Large meeting space
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Shower and lavatory facilities
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Dressing rooms
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Concession area
Green Spaces:
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Landscaped lawns
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Flower gardens
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Shade trees and shrubs
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Shelter areas
Other Elements:
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Easily accessible to entire community
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Designed to accommodate needs of physically challenged
how
The goal of the capital campaign, Pool Together, was to raise $5.1 million to resource the construction of a public outdoor aquatic facility and community center that would benefit the entire community and region. In collaboration with Harvest Church, the BBF took the leadership role to unite the community behind the funding and construction of this state-of-the-art aquatic facility and community center. With the support of over a thousand families and businesses, the dream became a reality on June 3, 2012.
wow
Oasis is a great place for families to create lasting memories, but we understand that financial resources can limit those opportunities. Caring individuals have donated funds for ticket scholarships. If your family qualifies for free and reduced lunch, you may be eligible for a discounted or free pass. Please click on the link and submit the Scholarship Application to info@betterbillings.com or drop it off at Oasis.
now
With grateful hearts, we celebrate the hundreds of generous families, community organizations, granting agencies, and the City of Billings who has made this project possible. We have more work to do and we can't do it without your support! Be part of this collaborative effort and help us make this state-of-the-art community project even more of a thrilling destination. This aquatic facility and community center is unmatched in functionality and fun in our region, and will directly benefit the population of the entire community. Let’s pool together and make a splash!
PARK 2 PARK
"How can kids from the other side of town get to the Oasis? How is the Oasis going to be different from other aquatic facilities in Billings?"
These were the questions that acted as the genesis of the Park 2 Park Mentoring Program. Park 2 Park connects some of our most deserving youth with our most gifted young mentors. The volunteer mentors offer the love and attention that many children in our community lack and desire, and show them how promising life can be when making positive choices. The program facilitates reading, recreation, and relationships at the Oasis or other community facilities to give the mentees a summer of success and growth.
While there is no monetary fee for kids to participate in Park 2 Park, they do have to earn the privilege of going on outings with their mentor. Reading goals are set for the week and they are responsible for attaining that goal before the fun begins. Many of the youth involved in this program fail to maintain their reading level over the summer and struggle in school as a result. Our hope is that the incentive of the program will encourage reading at home.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor in our Park 2 Park program or would like to nominate a child as a mentee, please reach out to us. We are working toward a one-to-one ratio for a maximum relationship building opportunity, and look forward to serving more children in our community.
BETTER FAMILY LIFE RESOURCe
PARENTING WITH PURPOSE
Parenting with Purpose helps parents, guardians, and primary care givers learn tools to raise and guide children into adulthood. Parenting with Purpose explores how to raise emotionally healthy sons and confident daughters, balancing grace and truth, teaching values and building character, working through grief, loss, and more!
Abstinence: THE SAFE SEX CHOICE
In these challenging cultural times of being a teenager, what does safe sex mean? Answering that question for all freshman in the local and surrounding high schools is the goal of "Abstinence: The Safest Sex Choice." For a viewing of this presentation as Eric Hutch approaches the subject with the facts click here.
BOOK NOOKS
what?
It operates as simple as: “Take a book, return a book." Our Book Nooks are located in areas that serve children in need of reading material. We hope that the Book Nook concept is a stepping stone in breaking the cycle of poverty. Education is an essential variable in that equation, and reading is a critical part of learning and education. As it is often repeated, we learn to read kindergarten through third grade and for the rest of our lives, we read to learn.
Reading also inspires and fills the imagination of the reader to pursue dreams outside of their own socio-economic environment. Many families have books boxed up in their storage rooms and closets taking up space. Imagine the satisfaction of knowing that those books are being enjoyed by a child that would otherwise not have one. Please consider donating your books to BBF and we will distribute them to Book Nooks around town!
where?
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Oasis Water Park and Community Center at 543 Aronson Avenue
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2802 8th Avenue South (By South Park)
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908 South Broadway
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23 Washington Ct.
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3942 2nd Avenue South-CLDI
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316 Jefferson Street
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473 Bunting Street- (Literacy Center)
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Ponderosa Elementary School at 4188 King Avenue E.
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42 Nimitz
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420 MacArthur Street
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1030 St. Johns at Community Housing Complex
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434 Lewis Avenue
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1890 Woody Drive at Community Housing Complex
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Lockwood School- Boys and Girls Club
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608 3rd Avenue North- Laurel
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Broadview MT
3H TUTORING
hope + help + honor
These are the 3 H's behind 3 H Tutoring. TerraBeth Jochems, founder of 3 H tutoring, finished her 30+ years in the school district knowing that she couldn't not help kids. She had to act when she witnessed struggling readers falling through the cracks in the school system. Through her experience facilitating the Barton Reading Method, she felt confident that by providing guidance and help, while maintaining honor and dignity, she could instill hope in these young pupils.
In addition to helping children throughout our community, this program is training a group of caring adults to help children through the Barton Reading Method as well. As of January of 2023 3H Tutoring has 7 tutors and has serves 45+ families.
If you would like to invest in Billings' youth and give children an opportunity to thrive in school, through one of our paid tutor positions, please click the button below to fill out an information card. Our programs director will give you a call and set up an interview.
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sahara park development project
bettering billings in 2021
The purpose of the Sahara Park Development Project is to increase the positive impact of the Sahara Park property on the Billings community and further the longevity of the Oasis. The different amenities of the Project can be broken down into the following: a basketball court, walking trails, sun-shelters/picnic tables, a replacement water filter, harmony park (giant musical instruments), and a BMX park.
The BBF is dedicated to identifying the community’s needs, gathering ideas, and creating opportunities for solutions. By engaging the neighborhood and Oasis attendees, maintaining an active presence within the Heights Task force, and listening closely to the Sahara Neighborhood Network and the Parks and Recreation Board, the BBF has identified the lack of covered picnic shelters (referred to as sun-shelters for the purpose of the Project), basketball courts, or open land within a mile of Sahara Park and the desire to see that changed.
Please consider partnering with us as we better Billings by donating to the project as a whole by using the link in the top right-hand corner or by sponsoring a specific item in the park using the link below.
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