FOP Walk-a-thon is May 1

 

--Photo courtesy of Danielle Hardung.

Friends of the Pool respresentative Suzie Deife explains the May 1 Walk-a-thon to Odessa schoolchildren at an assembly March 31.

It’s that time of year again, when the children of Odessa begin asking their friends, neighbors and family members to pledge their hard-earned dollars, as they get ready to participate in the Friends of the Pool (FOP) 6th annual Walk-a-Thon.

An assembly was held last Thursday in the school multi-purpose room to gear up for the Walk-a-Thon to be held Sunday, May 1, as the final event of Spring Fling.

Children were informed of the date and given a Grannie BarBar cookie and a permission form to take home to their parents that will allow them to participate in the walk-a-thon.

The grand prize this year is an Xbox with Kinect worth $450 for the highest amount of pledge dollars raised.

Each year, FOP members choose a different theme and give away themed prizes and participation T-shirts to keep the kids excited about being part of such an important fundraiser. The prizes and shirts are paid for with money donated by sponsoring businesses and families. This year’s theme is “Tie-Dye,” and prizes will be given to all children who participate.

During the Walk-a-Thon, the children of Odessa walk an average of 16 laps or four miles. Last year, all participants together walked a total of 981 laps. Any child who attended the assembly held at the school recently can tell you the importance of this year’s walk-a-thon.

This year the Town of Odessa and the FOP are hoping to solve the issue of water leakage and deteriorating concrete in the four pools at the aquatic center. According to the Town of Odessa’s public works director Roger Sebesta, the large pool is losing water at a rate of 10 gallons per minute. This water loss is costing the city huge amounts of money in heating and chemicals as new, cold, untreated water is pumped into the pool at the same rate to maintain water levels. Signs of similar deterioration are seen on the concrete seams in the lower slide pool and toddler pool.

After much research, Suzie Deife of the FOP suggested the retrofit of a plastic (PVC) liner made specifically to reline commercial pools and extend their lifespan. The liner acts like a shell that is chemically bonded to the existing pool structure; it is flexible, non-abrasive and watertight. Members of the Odessa Town Council did their own research and agreed that the product, with its 15-year warranty, would be a good solution.

The cost of the liner will be $41,000, half of which will be paid by the FOP and half by the Town of Odessa. The project is slated to start mid-May, and the pool will be open for this year’s swim season.

The Odessa FOP are dedicated to helping the Town of Odessa with upkeep of the Odessa Aquatic Center. The money raised through the walk-a-thon will go toward FOP’s half of the cost of the liner ($20,500), as well as toward supplying concessions throughout the swim season. The income from the concessions, in turn, will provide quality swimming lessons at low cost, as well as weekly cleaning of each pool.

 

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