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LEWISTOWN -- Fundraising efforts for Rec Park Pool are making a splash this summer locally. The Borough of Lewistown has been working to secure sponsorships and donations to keep the beloved Rec Park Pool afloat.
Recently, the Borough offered an opportunity for businesses to sponsor the pool by purchasing a banner with their business' logo that hung at the pool. These sponsorship banners were able to raise $7,300 for the pool this season.
The Rec Park Pool also partnered with a local business for Lewistown's First Friday on June 2, where they had T-shirts available to tie-dye, charging $10 a shirt, with $5 of each sale going to the pool's funding, and a total of around $200 was raised.
Even though there has been an outstanding $7,500 raised for the pool, that is not enough money to maintain the costs of chemicals to maintain the pool. "It costs $1,800 to $1,900 a week to keep the chemicals in the pool balanced," explained Katelyn Rauch, Codes Enforcement Officer for the Lewistown Borough. To keep the pool running for an entire summer, it costs nearly $25,000.
"Each year the pool has ended the season in a debt, which the Borough covers," said Rauch. In order to keep the pool open, it is important that there is enough money that the Borough doesn't have to cover the huge expense of chemical costs.
The Borough plans to continue holding fundraisers in the future, as they were a huge success.
With the area only having two pools available, the Borough feels that it is important to keep the pool open. There are multiple local children’s programs that utilize the pool frequently, who would greatly miss the resource being available.
To try to keep the pool in business, the Borough also decided to raise admission prices.
Sponsorship banners are still available for businesses. Individuals interested in donating to the pool may contact the Codes Office at (717) 242-1145.