Friends of Lopez Island Pool board members Robin Bergstrom, Leslie Quenell and Micki Ryan gathered at the site of the future Lopez Island Aquatic and Wellness Center in the recent rains, wishing the whole island could be enjoying a nice warm indoor pool right now.
Donated by John Sorenson, the two and a half acre site is just steps from the island school, across Center Road from the fire station and Mike’s Mechanical. This fall, members of FLIP launched the third phase of construction planning, a capital campaign to raise $3 million for construction of the 16,000 foot building with two pools. The larger of the two pools, 75 by 40 feet, is for recreation, fitness, learn-to-swim, competition training, and water safety/EMT rescue training. The smaller pool at 40 by 30 feet is super-heated and intended for water therapy, beginning swimmers, and water exercise, and will include a handicapped swing and water wheelchair. A plan of the entire complex is at www.lopezislandpool.org. When in operation, the pool facility can be rented for special and private events, in addition to daily operations open to the public.
“We are very grateful for the support shown by members of the community who have the capacity to ‘make it happen,’” said Bergstrom. “We have been meeting with families individually, and have reached a level of 25 percent funding of both construction and the necessary maintenance and operating endowment. This is our ‘do or die’ stage, following all our lengthy preparation with county, state and federal requirements. If we are going to have an aquatic center to meet every need in this community, its future will be determined over the next year.”
FLIP continues to meet with those community-minded supporters who want to see everyone on the island given the opportunity to learn to be safe in the water. If you have not been contacted and wish to hear a presentation of FLIP’s Business Enterprise Plan, call President Linda Barton at 468-4655. In addition, FLIP welcomes both full-time and part-time islanders to host an in-home presentation to share facts about construction, water, maintenance, operations and endowment. The capital campaign will extend to the end of the year 2013.
Once leadership and naming gifts have been secured, with foundation and corporate grants to match local gifts, FLIP will welcome donations of all levels as in the past. Donors may remain anonymous or honor another by name if they wish. The completed building décor will include permanent schools of whimsically decorated fish to identify donors of every level, and leadership gifts will include naming opportunities for each of the pools and public areas. Two donors have also made legacy gifts to the maintenance and operating endowment which will supplement operating income and future maintenance accounts.
FLIP’s website, www.lopezislandpool.org, takes donations and is currently being updated and streamlined. Be sure and check it out for more detailed construction news, including our revenue and expenses workup—and watch for FLIP’s 2014 Swimmers and Supporters calendar.
