Scott Swanson
Local resident Nancy Shadomy loves to swim.
“I was raised in southern Florida,” she said. “I’m a fish. Swimming is my happy place.”
Shadomy, who retired recently from the U.S. Forest Service Sweet Home Ranger District after previously owning and operating the Savory Palate restaurant, is a longtime regular at the Sweet Home pool.
Recently, she said, she was swimming laps when a thought occurred to her: “Not every kid has access to swimming lessons.”
She was bothered.
Sweet Home elementary students used to get swimming time as part of the school curriculum, but some years ago – when, exactly, is a little murky in the memories of school officials, the program stopped due to conflicts with some more basic subjects, according to district Business Manager Kevin Strong, who wasn’t involved in that decision.
“With everything else – reading, math, writing, social studies, science, there wasn’t time in the school day,” he said, adding that the amount of time and effort required to transport children to the pool was “significant.”
District aquatics supervisor A. Jay Bronson said that by the time he arrived in July of 2018, the program had been discontinued.
“Apparently, every third- or fourth-grader that came through the district was given swimming lessons,” he said. “I’m trying to bring that forward, but it depends on time (in the school day).
He said that the pandemic situation restricts what the district can offer this summer.
“With COVID rules there’s no way we could get that many bodies in the pool,” Bronson said.
He said he hopes to get a more far-reaching summer program up and running next year, but it isn’t happening in 2021.
However, private lessons will be offered to 100 to 150 children at a cost of $55 per child for eight lessons.
Those private lessons are what Shadomy had in mind when she established a Swimming Lessons Fund to help pay for underprivileged children to get in on that instruction.
“If we can get people to help, if it’s any kind of hardship on families to pay for swimming lessons, they can be put on a list,” she said.
She approached the district, which agreed to the idea. Shadomy emphasized that this is “not a district fundraiser.” It is hers.
Donors can send checks, clearly designated for the “Swimming Lessons Fund,” to the district office at 1920 Long St., Sweet Home, OR 97386.
People interested in getting on the list can inquire at the pool, off 15th Avenue on the high school campus, or contact Bronson at (541) 367-7169.
Shadomy said people don’t have to donate $55 – “if we get a lot of people to contribute a small amount, it will add up.”
“I know people have already contributed funds to it,” she said. “This is more personalized than the school program. It just would be great, man, if we could help out.
“Every parent’s worst nightmare is that their kid would drown.”