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The Community Fund

Pools are built with a community in mind. The William Shore Pool’s Community Fund was established by the William Shore Memorial Pool District Board of Commissioners, who believe our aquatic center, as an important public trust, should have financial help beyond just voted tax levies. The Community Fund is a tax deductible fund governed by the IRS as a 501(c)(1) tax-exempt organization. The Community Fund is managed by the William Shore Memorial Pool District Board of Commissioners and the Certified Public Accounting firm of McClain and Crouse, Port Angeles.

Public budgets can’t always stretch enough to cover all the desirable programs and improvements for our aquatic center. Gifts and donations to the Community Fund can help bridge this gap. The Community Fund can accept:

  • Bequests: Estate planning/wills can include the William Shore Pool Community Fund as a beneficiary
  • Stock and Bonds: A transfer fund for gifts of stock is available.
  • Memorials: Gifts for loved ones may be set up for projects and programs matched with the donor’s wishes.
  • Real Property: The value of items such as land, artwork, antiques and other treasures can be exchanged for proceeds to directly help William Shore Pool.
  • Estate Planning: The William Shore Pool Community Fund can assist in provide professional estate planning for those needing guidance in preparing estates and wills.

OPPORTUNITIES AND NEEDS
The William Shore Pool Community Fund has identified four areas of need to which donations may be applied:

Programs
The Community Fund places a top priority on raising funds to provide programs for organizations and individuals through grants and scholarships.  The top focus is on young people and families who are low-income or have developmentally disabled children and live within the District boundaries.  Some of the programs we are attempting to fund are:

1. Swim Camps
The Community Fund offers a one-of-a-kind experience at the William Shore Pool to at-risk and disabled youth who otherwise would not be able to attend camp during the summer or participate in swim programs during the academic school year. In addition to offering summer day camps, the Community Fund also helps fund one-day camps during school holidays throughout the school year which are targeted at kids who would need to be sent to day care or would be at home alone on those no school days.

2. Swim Lesson Assistance
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children under the age of 12.  Every child should know how to swim.  We would like to provide grants to provide any child the ability to take basic swim lessons, so they are not in danger of drowning if they fall into the water.  The Community Fund desires to turn no one away due to limited financial resources.  This program would also include providing swim lessons to children of the Port Angeles School District’s elementary schools

3. Specialized Swim Programs
Special needs children do exceptionally well learning to exercise in a pool setting. They can excel in swimming when they struggle in normal exercise activities. Providing swim programs for special needs children has had dramatic effects on kids like no other program.  The Community Fund works in conjunction with the school district to provide opportunities for all special needs children within the District boundaries.

CAPITOL IMPROVEMENTS
Our “wish list” of improvements needed to make our aquatic facility more enjoyable and accessible for all:

1. Kids’ Splash and Play Pool
Our current pool does not have the room or the shallow depth to offer an adequate kids area for playing and splashing around.  The long term strategic plan for the aquatic center is to convert the shallow area of the existing pool and incorporate it with a new kids splash and play pool and expand it out to the south deck area, which would be enclosed. The pool would have spray and splash pad equipment in addition to a lazy river and climbing fort with water soaking and spraying devices.

2. Therapy Pool
Our older citizens in our District would benefit greatly from having a dedicated multi-use therapy pool which would be located to the west of the current pool and enclosed to be part of the aquatic center.  This would provide a warm water pool dedicated to exercise, aerobics and aquatic therapy.  It would have a variable depth bottom so all types of classes could be held in the pool. It will also provide extra deck space and swim lesson space when not being used.

3. Spa
One of the top requests from patrons is to have a hot water hydrotherapy spa to be used for all ages. It would be located in the southwest corner of the expanded building, have ADA access, and could hold up to 10 people.

4. Updated Locker Rooms with New Lockers
Our locker rooms have not been updated since the building was opened in 1962.  Most of the lockers are broken and cannot lock.  The showers and stalls are not in great shape and could use updating.  The current locker rooms have not been updated to current ADA rules, which is very important when we have many patrons with disabilities who require good access to the locker rooms and pool.

How can you contribute?
If you would like to donate towards a specific program or to one of our capitol improvement projects, please contact Steven Burke, Executive Director, at 360-4127-9767 or via email at: sburke@williamshorepool.org

Need More Information?
Brochures and additional information are available online at www.williamshorepool.org. For specific information please contact Steven Burke, Executive Director, William Shore Memorial Pool District at 360-417-9767 or via email at: sburke@williamshorepool.org