Dear valued Tamarack Pool community member,
You showed us what matters! Because of supporters like you, Tamarack Pool has had a bright fall. Closing for two months last summer, though necessary for Tamarack’s fiscal health, was very hard for our users. Many of those who depend on the life-sustaining benefits of Tamarack’s 92-degree salt water for their quality of life were, quite literally, in pain. Thanks to extraordinary volunteer and donor support, Tamarack reopened in October and users are back in the water and enjoying life again!
And the news gets better. Though Tamarack re-opened with a reduced schedule, our users came back joyously, and now pool usage is nearly what it was before we closed. With continued donor support, we hope to expand the schedule in January making Tamarack’s healing waters even more available.
During the closure, the depth of the need for maintenance and program support was made extremely clear. The board, staff, and volunteers are spreading the word about Tamarack Pool’s programs like water exercise classes and specialized programs including arthritis and pre-natal. In addition, the staff and board are exploring additional grant support. In fact, a grant from PacificSource is currently keeping our core programs up and running.
Keeping the good news going, and keeping Tamarack’s one-of-a-kind warm-water, fully-accessible facility open for all, requires ongoing community support. Did you know that Tamarack is the only public pool in our area that is NOT supported by city, county, state, or federal funds? That’s why your support is critical to preserving Tamarack’s vital programs and transformational effects.
The costs of maintaining Tamarack Pool and its breadth of programs are substantial: $175 per hour or over $550,000 a year. Donations support the Pool, its programs, and users of all ages and abilities. Here are some ways your tax-deductible contribution may help sustain the Pool and its programs:
$50 a one-month scholarship for a low-income child or medically fragile person
$100 safety and emergency response training for lifeguards
$500 one set of pool filters or one UV light service (part of the salt-water treatment)
$1000 a new heater that will help with efficiency and constant water temperature
$5000 new blankets to help ensure energy efficiency for the Pool
The costs are high and the needs are even higher. About half of Tamarack Pool’s users live at or below the poverty level. You can make a profound and ongoing difference in their lives by supporting greater mobility, reduced pain, and overall better health and wellbeing.
Today is the day to make the season bright, and the future as well. Because of you and your support, we can keep this extraordinary resource available to all today, tomorrow, and for years to come.
Thank you and happy holidays,
leslie scott, Board President for the Board of Directors, the Staff, and volunteers.
