A safe place to swim

from Kidz Day 2023

A place to grow healthy A place to build physical strength and self-confidence

The pool at The Salvation Army Red Shield Center continues to play a vital role in the community by offering an escape from summer heat and providing a place for people to learn how to swim in a safe and controlled environment.

“They know they’re safe in this pool because there’s a lifeguard watching them,” Red Shield Center Director Maria Arellano said. “They can come, have fun and not feel so afraid of the water.”

Open swim times, swim lessons and water aerobics can be enjoyed at the pool, and the “vortex” slide provides another fun way for kids to beat the heat. Students can also take a course to become a junior lifeguard and learn water safety, and a new swim program also gives kids the chance to join a team and participate in competitive water sports against each other.

“Not only do they have free splash time, but they might also join a team and find something they’re really interested in,” Arellano said.

“Every summer, the pool fills with local children from the surrounding community who can finally feel safe while swimming”, Arellano said.

“A lot of kids here don’t have those experiences of growing up with a pool, and especially when you come from a Hispanic culture, water can be a very scary thing,” she said. “Now when they come in, parents are starting to feel more comfortable that their kids are learning to swim and are safe.”

The pool will be open Monday – Saturday from June through August.

Aquatics

The full-size pool sees a lot of activity during the summer months for recreational swimming, swimming lessons and lifeguard training classes for adults and seniors. The funding needed for this program is $190,720.