Caren Jones, (left) executive director of the YWCA of NWI, at the ribbon cutting celebrating the re-opening of the Y’s swimming pool
YWCA of NWI re-opens swimming pool after $1.5 million renovation
Contributed By: The 411 News
The Y is home to the only indoor public pool in Gary
Gary – After a yearlong stint of renovations, the YWCA of NWI held a Grand Re-Opening Celebration of its swimming pool on Wednesday, June 19th.
“We thought that holding the celebration on Juneteenth would make the occasion all the more significant," said the Y’s Executive Director Caren Jones. “We endured a very involved process to update the pool. Thanks to the generosity of donors, grants and support from the City of Gary, we are back in operation.”
In 2022, the Y received $1.5 million from the City of Gary’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help the Y continue its programs that enrich the community. The Y opened in 2000. The funds also went towards updating the showers, bath and locker rooms.
The YWCA’s pool is the only indoor public pool in the city and the closure left a void for its users.
West Side Leadership Academy’s swim team was without a practice pool. Faithful participants in the Y’s water aerobics program had to go elsewhere.
Jones said, “Now that school is out for the summer and news continues to spread about the pool re-opening, membership at the YWCA of NWI is on the rise,” Jones said. “Parents are expressing interest in their children learning to swim or capitalizing on the inclusion of recreational swim time during the youth summer camp program.”
"The lack of public pools in our city directly impacts our children's inability to swim," added Jones. "That's the main reason we were eager to get the pool open as soon as possible and happy to provide this critical life skill to the loyal community we serve."
Jones cited a recent study by the Y's USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis, “Sixty-four percent of African American children cannot swim and are more likely to drown than their white counterparts.”
George Thompson, instructor for the Y’s water aerobics program
Story Posted:06/21/2024
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