The New Community Pool Becoming a Reality
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The Town of Big Sandy has joined with Big Sandy School District to create an interlocal agreement to support the location. Currently, the fundraising community has raised over $70k of the estimated $1.7 million needed. They recognize it’s only a start. However, they are excited that the Big Sandy Rotary committed $30,000 and Big Sandy School Educational Foundation for another $30,000. The Lippard-Clawiter Foundation gave a generous donation of $7,500.
Brad Moore, Chairman of the Big Sandy Education Foundation Board of Directors, said, “we are proud to be able to contribute to the Big Sandy Pool Project. The Foundation Directors felt that the potential of a new pool in Big Sandy met the Foundation’s primary mission by enhancing the educational opportunities for students of Big Sandy. The Foundation looks forward to working with the pool committee to continue to move forward on this project.”
Bob Nelson, treasurer for the Big Sandy Rotary Club, said, “we wanted to find another big project to support. It’s an important project for Big Sandy. If you don’t support the future, the end is closer! The first time around, the approach to a new pool was different than this approach one. We have finished our bigger projects and need a new project to support.”
The Big Sandy School District has been working with the Town of Big Sandy, so we have a New Pool location. The Town of Big Sandy has been in desperate need of a new pool to serve all community members. The current pool has had so many issues and is barely holding on that if something is done and done soon, there will be no more pool in Big Sandy. In the last ten years or so, the Town of Big Sandy has spent $250,000 to keep the current pool running. However, it has gotten to the point that simple fixes and bandages aren’t going to save it much longer. Our existing pool has been around 60+years, and it has been a blessing to the community; however, it has exceeded its life expectancy and isn’t going to last much longer. A few of the current pool issues are: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements are not currently being met because the facility cannot support it; Following items need repair; due to current pool status, these repairs that need to be done will only last temporarily, and they are costly for temporary fixes; Lining + additional structural repair; Circulation; leaking of groundwater; Deck needs structural repair; and Potential health concerns with water/sewer infrastructure.
The current pool approximately supports over 225 people during the swimming season. It is used for PE at the beginning and the end of the school year, swimming lessons, adult swimming, the local Big Sandy Barracuda Swim Team, Box Elder’s swim program, summer employment for our youth, and families from surrounding communities. I was visiting with a small business owner in Havre, who told me they bring their grandchildren to Big Sandy to swim.
With a New Pool, the hopes would be to continue with these programs and facilitate more such as; becoming ADA compliant so the residents of both the Big Sandy Activities Center and Medical Center may use it. The New Pool would support these programs and provide a solution to so many of the current issues and create a facility that will last for our community another 50-60+ years that our families will enjoy.
If you are interested in donating, please contact any fundraising committee members: Diana LaBuda, Rich Jesperson, Shaud or Melanie Schwarzbach, Dianna Upham, Heather Pleninger, Anne Quinn, Lorrie Merrill, or Wendy Kleinsasser on behalf of the Town of Big Sandy. You can also send a check to the Town of Big Sandy PO Box 381 designating it to go towards the new pool and that they want a tax-deductible letter from Wendy. We are so appreciative of anything that can be done or given to help with this project. All donations can be sent to the Town of Big Sandy and are tax-deductible. This group of Big Sandy residents has come together to help the Town of Big Sandy start fundraising to build a New Community Pool. While this group is focused on fundraising to help keep the tax burden off of the taxpayers.
