45 Year Momentum at an ALL-TIME HIGH! PHILLIPS AQUATIC CENTER

At the Phillips Aquatic Center

March Madness

By Denny Bennett

March, 2017 will be long remembered as a big month in the history of the Phillips Aquatics Center! On Tuesday, March 28^th at 1:00 PM, at the Phillips Community Center, the ceremonial groundbreaking took place. Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board”'s (MPRB) Superintendent Jayne Miller led the festivities, and the crowd heard from elected officials, key donors and me. MPRB is planed the details of the event, and had the obligatory golden shovels and pre-softened dirt.

To me, this public display of “digging in” was like a wedding, in the sense that all who participate are saying loudly and publicly, “I”'m all in!” From this day forward, we can all relax a little bit. This thing is real, and once declared publicly at a groundbreaking, there are no “take-backs”! Just like a wedding, there was even a reception with light refreshments afterwards, and for entertainment, people took a tour of the “before” version of the old pool.

In January, while I heralded the joy of this dream coming true, I also dedicated a few column inches to explain how important items got left out due to budget constraints. Specifically, there were two projects that were designated as “optional” and as a result, not included in the planned construction:

• Existing locker room upgrade ”“ $162,000
• Fitness & teen center relocation and remodeling ”“ $116,000

Related Images:

South High Foundation Donates to “Sha-Kym Adams Learn to Swim Fund”

Kimberly Adams, Honorary Co-chair of the “Sha-Kym Adams Learn to Swim Fund” and Denny Bennett, Mpls. Swims President receive a $1,394.00 Gift for the Fund from Judy Ayers, South High Foundation President on behalf of the Foundation.

On Tuesday, March 14, the Friends of South High Foundation presented a check for $1,394.00 to Denny Bennett, president of Minneapolis Swims, and Kimberly Adams, Honorary Co-chair of the “Sha-Kym Adams Learn to Swim Fund” and mother of the late Sha-Kym Adams. Foundation President Judy Ayers presented the check during the Foundation”'s monthly board meeting. Many of Sha-Kym”'s extended family members attended the presentation, and his sister, Renae Rowe, read a meaningful poem.

Minneapolis Swims created this fund with the help of Sha-Kym”'s parents, Kimberly Adams & Sharrod Rowe, to provide scholarships for swimming instruction, helping eliminate financial barriers that may exist for people to learn to swim. Kimberly”'s hope is “that no parent ever have to go through what we went through.”

Sha-Kym Adams was a sophomore at South High School when he drowned in August 2014, while trying to swim out to the raft on Lake Nokomis with some teammates after a football practice.

To donate to the fund, go to our Facebook page and follow the link, or send contributions c/o Minneapolis Swims, 2323 11^th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404.… Read the rest “South High Foundation Donates to “Sha-Kym Adams Learn to Swim Fund””