Dayton's Friends of the Pool is sponsoring all-ages swim lessons

DAYTON - To encourage Columbia County kids of all ages (including adults) to learn to swim, the Friends of the Pool Committee in Dayton has offered to pay for certified swimming lessons. This includes both basic and intermediate lessons through certified Red Cross programs at the Walla Walla YMCA or any comparable certified program. The offer also includes paying for lifesaving skills and lifeguard certification for advanced swimmers. This offer will extend throughout the year.

Families and swimmers will need to pay for the lessons themselves; then Friends of the Pool will reimburse their lesson expenses. Transportation costs are not reimbursed.

To be reimbursed, copies of the receipts for qualifying lessons should be sent to Friends of the Pool, P.O. Box 192, Dayton, WA. 99328.

Make sure to include a name, an address to which reimbursements can be sent, and a telephone number. If lessons were held outside the area, applicants must include proof of their Columbia County residency.

The Dayton School District has partnered with the Friends of the Pool to provide similar lessons for students during the school year. Friends of the Pool coordinates lessons with the Walla Walla YMCA and reimburses the school for transportation for grades 1 through 5. The YMCA has its own grant funding to help provide swim lessons for kids from regional schools, including those in Columbia County.

Friends of the Pool receives both grant funds and private donations toward these efforts. Funds on hand include grants from the Warren Community Action Fund and the Dayton/Columbia County/Dayton Fund, both managed by Blue Mountain Community Foundation. The organization has also received an Innovia Community Grant and a grant from The Exchange Club of Walla Walla. Substantial donations have come directly from a wide range of individuals and businesses in the area.

This offer to fund swimming lessons will remain in effect until a new community pool is built in Dayton and swim lessons become available locally. Friends of the Pool works closely with the Columbia County Parks & Pool District, which is working towards constructing a new community pool.