Pocono News Section

YWCA Warm Water Pool to Close

YWCA Warm Water Pool to Close - Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 5:18PM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 @ 05:18pm EST
Williamsport, Lycoming County-

Rising costs and overdue repairs are forcing the YWCA to close the only warm water therapeutic pool in Lycoming County.

Beverly Murray learned to swim at the pool when she was only about 10 years old. For her, it's been something of a fountain of youth.

Murray explained, "I'm 75 years old and I'm not on any medication. I get around really well and the pool helps keep me limber. I love it."

Murray's story is just one of hundreds that illustrate the healing help this pool has provided over the past 80 years.

YWCA Executive Director Diane Glenwright noted, "We have one gentleman who comes in a wheelchair and his service dog pulls him along, and we just love them both."

Or the little girl who suffered a stroke too early in life. Glenwright continued, "Part of her therapy was actually to swim in our pool and it allowed her to regain all of her senses."

But now age and money are catching up. Both the heating and dehumidification systems need to be replaced, along with other upgrades.

YWCA officials estimate it would cost $500,000 to repair the pool. Plus they would need an additional $80,000 each year to cover their operating costs.

It is money the YWCA says just isn't available, especially with all the other programs they administer that provide assistance to women and children in need.

Murray added, "I feel especially bad for those people who are recommended to come here by their doctors for arthritis and so on because they get a lot more benefit from it than I do. Mine's pleasure."

Unless generous funding becomes available in the very near future, YWCA officials are set to close the warm water therapeutic pool on September 30th.