Pool Cover for the Community Pool
The Rio Vista Sharks Swim Club would like you to consider our organization for a club to help.
The city-owned Simonsen Swim Center is one of the only recreation facilities that still remain in the town of Rio Vista. It is so important to the townspeople that they donate thousands of dollars to it every year. Since February, the pool has served over 104 kids who have been a part of the Rio Vista High School Swim Team, (27 swimmers & currently received the League Championship title!) and 77 kids (4-17 ages) Rio Vista Sharks Swim Team. There are also adults that swim and take classes at the pool during the summer season. Additionally, during the summer, the pool serves countless local kids with daily swim sessions, swimming lessons and private party rentals.
The Rio Vista Sharks Swim Club operates on a slim budget of $49,000 a year with just enough left over at the end of the year to pay for insurance for the following year. Within this budget, the club pays for pool operations including providing jobs for our local youth who are swim coaches and lifeguards at the pool. In addition, the Club has countless parent volunteers during their swim meets and a dedicated help supplement many duties associated with pool operations.
Currently, the public facility pool is in desperate need of new pool covers. The covers that are used now were purchased 7 years ago with a 5-year life expectancy. Currently, the covers have severe sun damage, which has caused cracking in the surface. These undesirable cracks allows water to fill the insulation lining of the covers causing them to be extremely heavy and nearly impossible to extend over and retract from the surface of the water of the pool. When they are In new or good condition, high-school aged swimmers can easily the covers slide on and off, which they have been doing so for the past six years. This year, even with eight to ten high-school aged young men using a pull rope and metal crank, it is extremely difficult to get the job done. The pull rope and one of the metal cranks have broken in the attempts to take the covers on and off. In addition, because of the water penetration, the covers are now growing mold internally and externally, which causes a health concern for both adults and children.
These covers save thousands of dollars on heating and chemical bills. The current yearly bill for PG & E, filters, pool maintenance and chemicals is approximately $7,000 estimate per month when the covers are in place on the water’s surface. The chemicals evaporate at a much higher rate when the pool is left uncovered, the heater needs to run continuously to keep the pool to tolerable swim temperature and additional cleaning needs to be performed causing an increase in operation costs. Due to heath concerns and the sheer difficulty of rolling them on & off the pool, the pool will need to be left uncovered until new covers can be purchased. Without the use of pool covers, our Club anticipates the cost of operations to double. We will be fundraising for the additional funds during the 29th Annual Rotary Pentathlon being held on May 16th. The Club also does fundraising at the Annual Rotary Golf Tournament, Soroptimist Sheep Dog Trials, Isleton Cajun Festival and we do a Swim-A-Thon. The Club increased registration fees this year to help with cost. We also collect monies thru business sponsorships, private parties fees and private party donations.
The Rio Vista Swim Club has been given a bid for $7,825.00 for the covers, Lincoln Pool Supply, the company bidding the covers, gave the Club a .25 cent discount per square foot for our pool which is approximately a 4,000 square foot pool. In addition to the cost of the pool covers, we anticipate an end cost of approximately $8,500.00 , which includes replacement of the pull ropes and the broken crank on the roller system.
The Rio Vista Sharks Swim Club thanks you in advance for your consideration and would greatly appreciate any funding.
Sincerely,
Dan Schindler
League Rep., Rio Vista Sharks Swim Club