By Henry Valz, Holly Barnes, Crystal Smith and Joellen Wilhelm
The potential closure of The Evergreen State College pool understandably concerns local families, swimmers and fitness enthusiasts.
The 25-yard by 25-meter pool (with a separate dive well) at Evergreen was the literal crown jewel of our local aquatics infrastructure. It once served as a vital space for senior health, community wellness, children learning to swim, and the competitive dreams of our youth swim and water polo teams.
But the threat of closure revealed something incredible: the unshakeable spirit, unity and resolve of our Thurston County community.
Over the last 30 years, our county's population has grown from about 167,000 to over 300,000 residents.
At the same time, public pools have been drained and filled in, or closed to the public. Children have been turned away from swim lessons year after year. High school teams have been forced to drive an hour round trip just to be able to practice.
Local swim clubs drive more than an hour each way just to get to the closest swim meets. Scuba dive instruction with new divers, which would normally take place in a pool, have to occur in murky, cold lakes. Water safety courses cannot complete pool training due to a lack of available pools.
We cannot afford to lose the pool, and the good news is — We don't have to. Instead of throwing up our hands, our community stepped up with a clear, realistic and highly collaborative vision. Through the grass-roots initiative of the Regional Aquatics Alliance for Thurston County (RAAFT.org), nearly 5,000 neighbors have signed on to protect this facility.
A collective effort has started to unfold, with invaluable leadership of The Evergreen State College administration working with RAAFT, and supported by the PARC Foundation of Thurston County. City, county, school districts, and port leaders are now engaging in discussions on how to build a bridge to a bright, sustainable future for public aquatics.
We have already developed a solid pro forma financial model proving the pool can be operated sustainably through a membership-based structure and robust regional partnerships.
This would allow the regrowth of the aquatics community that has surrounded this pool for the last 50 years, incorporating everyone from children learning to swim, to high school teams, to Evergreen students and staff, to adult open swim, to kayakers and scuba divers, to our elderly community that is well-served by the low-impact exercises of swimming and water aerobics.
There is clearly a massive need for more aquatics programming, especially lessons and community swim time. We have conducted two community surveys with nearly 500 participants, showing that the community wants to use the facility and how they want to use it.
Ninety percent of the people surveyed from the community would use the pool more if it were available more often. We have reached out to community leaders, cities and the county with the goal of providing pool time that is affordable to everyone who wants to spend time in the water for a fraction of the cost of going to a private club.
It will take private donations, community and municipal support, as well as time. But given that we have no other option, it is money and time that we feel is incredibly well spent. Many of us in RAAFT have spent decades committed to aquatics education, and we hope to be able to spend decades more dedicated to this facility that we so desperately need and love.
This is an exciting moment of opportunity. We can save this pool, modernize its infrastructure, and guarantee that future generations of Thurston County residents have a safe, vibrant place to swim. Let's keep this magnificent momentum going!
Please visit
RAAFT to learn more about the pool, the effort and how to donate to support this aquatics gem.
Henry Valz, Holly Barnes, Crystal Smith and Joellen Wilhelm of RAAFT
The opinions expressed above are those of the writers and not necessarily those of The JOLT's staff or board of directors. Got something to say about a topic of interest to Thurston County residents? Send it to us and we’ll most likely publish it. Click here to email to us.
northbeachcomm
Thank you, for your ideas on the Evergreen State College pool, located on campus. I support the idea that this pool should be repaired used, instead of being demolished! The TESC admin. staff says that they do not have the money to repair the pool, yet they will have the million dollars to demolish this structure? This structure needs help. This structure needs some repairs, this needs to be done. Our WA State legislators, Sen. Jessica Bateman, Rep. Lisa Parshley and Beth Doglio, say that they will allow us to vote to tax ourselves for a new pool?
This new pool will cost $100 million dollars? No! We will not vote for that. Yet we need a pool, a place that our high school teams can practice swimming; POOLS SAVE LIVES!
Monday, June 8 Report this
Bobwubbena
This is a project that the City of Olympia City Council should get behind. Let's shift at least 25% of the money being spent on "homelessness and related programs" to programs for the" community--such as the Evergreen Pool "
In a recent presentation, an NGO supporting a good cause but wanting more money, was asked---which program do you suggest should have fewer community funds so your NGO can have the funds---the response was--there is money there we just need to ask for it. So naive!!! and so selfish!! We need to set priorities and everyone, even the homeless, need to pay part of their own way and share the communities limited funds. Let's start clarifying what is important to a "quality community" and not just give and give and give---unless they also give back.
Monday, June 8 Report this
BobJacobs
Thurston County has so many miles of saltwater shoreline, so many lakes and rivers. But so few swimming facilities and beaches. What a mismatch.
The Evergreen pool is a major portion of the available swim facilities in Thurston County. We badly need it to re-open as soon as possible.
I'm donating to this cause and I urge others to do the same.
Bob Jacobs
Monday, June 8 Report this
wellnow77
Yes - please save the Evergreen pool!!
Monday, June 8 Report this
Shushu
Agree pools and swimming instruction should be mandatory part of PE courses also. I have never lived anywhere in the US with so much open water and so many people who can not swim. It is dangerous. Just spend a day at Long Lake watching parents who can't swim with their kids who can't swim.
Tuesday, June 9 Report this
Anon1599
This seems like a good solution. Not going to cost the community more taxes, and keeps a pool open. Considering all the other places that Tumwater and Olympia throw money, this would actually be a positive.
Tuesday, June 9 Report this
RobRichards
This is no way a challenge to the idea of saving the Evergreen pool, but as somebody who hasn’t tracked this issue closely, my question is: why not build something at the Regional Athletic Complex? Seems more accessible and centrally located and might be able to serve even more people. That could be a great Capital Budget Request for Rep. Parshley (the Vice Chair of the Capital Budget Committee) to champion.
Wednesday, June 10 Report this