Pool Party raises $1,200 for new pool

Funding the Future for the Hi-Line (name pending) hosted a back to School Family Fun Day at the City Pool last Friday, August 12, in order to raise funds for a brand new pool in Malta’s future.

The event, which featured the Salsbery Bros. Waterslide and a Family Fun Night raised $700 through the price of admission and concessions, while the Malta Swim Team donated $500 through the selling of traveling tacos.

“I think it’s a good start to the new pool fundraiser,” Julia Tatafu said. “That’s what we are looking to do, is get a pool going here in Malta.”

Unofficially the cost of the new pool be anywhere from $800,000 to $1,000,000 to be built, so while the $1200 raised at the Pool Party was huge, a lot more will be needed.

The food for the event had the biggest impact on the fundraiser. Not only were there traveling tacos but also pizzas donated by Westside Food Court and Stretch’s Pizza, juice, Gatorade, pop and cookies.

“We’ve just had a lot of in-pouring of community support,” Tatafu said. “We appreciate that and all of the volunteers that have helped.”

Funding the Future for the Hi-Line (name pending) was assigned a board which included Mary Oxarart who is the board’s Secretary.

“It is a huge project and this is our fundraiser and this is pretty much where we’re at,” Oxarart said. “The next fundraiser will be Brewfest / Octoberfest. That’s going to be our second huge fundraiser and from there we are just going to keep going.”

The fundraising will keep going until the new pool can be afforded.

According to Oxarart soon the board will put up a thermometer poster so the community can see how the fundraising is going until the raising is over.

“That way the public can see how much we are raising throughout the project,” Oxarart said.

Oxarart was encouraged by the fifty plus people who attended the event despite early rain.

“I feel like it’s a good turnout even with the weather,” Oxarart said.

Oxarart, who is from Maryland, sees the importance of fighting for a new pool with the old pool’s closure becoming an eventuality.

“What got me into this is that we need a pool,” Oxarart said.“We need to have a pool, period, for our kids. Our kids need to have a pool in our community. My kids are young and when they are older, I want them to have a pool, so I want to help out with that project.”

Pool manager Natalie Judd helped put the event together and watched over all water aspects of the event. Judd thought the event went well despite the rain earlier in the day.

“I wish earlier in the day we didn’t have bad weather,” Judd said. “Other than that I think it was great.”

To make a donation towards the cause write check and money orders out to The New Pool Fund.