Waitsburg – After some busy months of fundraising in the community, Karen Huwe and Wendy Carter of Friends of the Pool are happy to announce that the $10,000 matching goal was surpassed by the Sept. 30 deadline. This first step towards building a new pool in Waitsburg was initiated after a generous resident donated $10,000 and challenged the community to match the amount.

The fundraiser organized by Friends of the Pool and Rural Youth Enrichment Services (RYES) set the goal of getting 100 community members to donate $100. Business owners and local leaders joined forces to get the word out. There were pool blue drink specials at American 35 and caffeinated incentives at Ten Ton Coffee, where the fundraiser's thermometer was prominently displayed in the front window.

Friends of the Pool has officially joined forces with RYES and continues to work closely with the Waitsburg Parks and Rec. Fundraising continues as they further develop plans for a new pool. Check out the RYES website, http://www.ruralyes.org, for more information and to donate online. Donations can also be dropped off at Ten Ton Coffee or Banner Bank on Main Street. Make checks out to RYES and write "Pool" on the memo line.