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May 4, 2011 in City
Coalition to provide swim passes for city, county low-income kids
Invoking an image of kids peering through a fence at other children splashing in a public pool on a hot summer day, a Spokane-area coalition announced a plan on Tuesday to help poor children swim, too.
Last year the Spokane Parks Foundation and Spokane Valley Partners began a program to help low-income children afford to swim in Spokane and Spokane Valley pools.
It might have been because of the rainy weather or trouble getting the word out, but fewer than half of the passes the groups sponsored last year were used, said parks foundation Executive Director Toni Nersesian.
This year, with the help of a venerable nonprofit charitable organization, the Make a Splash project hopes no Spokane County child will be left out of the pool.
The Salvation Army, which has experience matching low-income families with social services, will issue vouchers to qualifying Spokane city and county families. The families will be able to take these vouchers to the area swimming pool of their choice for a season pass.
Spokane Valley Partners will issue vouchers for Spokane Valley families.
Also on Tuesday, Make a Splash announced more than $14,000 in contributions from area businesses and nonprofits. In addition, the Spokane Parks Foundation has as much as $20,000 remaining from donations raised last year, Nersesian said.
In 2010, Make a Splash did not purchase passes for Spokane County pools because of the high cost, Nersesian said. But this year the county has lowered its rates 33 percent.
The daily rate charged by county Parks, Recreation and Golf will be $2 for children ages 3 to 5, and $4 for children 6 and older at the Northside and Southside aquatics centers.
This year the city, which began charging for swimming in 2009, doubled its daily rates to $2 for children ages 4 to 17, and $4 for adults.
More than 34,000 students in Spokane County public schools, or 43 percent, lived at or below the poverty level in 2009, according to the Spokane Parks Foundation.
Rights panel poorly understood 
CommonSenseJoe on May 04 at 7:51 a.m.
Unless things have drastically changed, thanks to this coalition, lifeguards can now add baby sitter to their resume. I remember back when there wasn’t a fee to get into public pools, deadbeat parents would drop off their trouble making kids at public pools all day to cause mayhem and havoc there, rather than at home. Our public pools will now become day cares for these trouble makers, which will drastically affect the enjoyment of the pools by those who simply want to cool off in the summer. Good intentions, bad results.
DickAdams on May 04 at 9:43 a.m.
Joe, you are right on. Last year at one of the pools there was a rash of bullying going on and several times the SPD was called to put a stop to the bullies bothering the other kids. As you say, good intentions, bad results.
selkirks on May 04 at 11:44 p.m.
@CommonSenseJoe: Actually, that’s been the case at City of Spokane pools for years and years—literally since their inception. The fees alone decrease that element because so many people aren’t willing to go through the paperwork of getting a free swim pass.
Equating this awesome program with “babysitter lifeguards” is not only misleading, but startlingly inaccurate. Because you’re simply describing what’s been the case for years.