- KING COUNTY YOUTH AMATEUR SPORTS GRANT -

MOUNT RAINIER POOL

Mount Rainier Pool Announces King County Youth Amateur Sports Grant Award

$213,117 Grant to Cover Critical, Time-Sensitive Repairs

Des Moines (WA)— September 23, 2024 — A $213,117 grant for critical repairs to the boiler system at the Mount Rainier Pool has been awarded by King County Parks.

King County's Youth and Amateur Sports Grants aim to support healthy and active communities by investing in programs and capital facility projects that improve access to sports, play, and outdoor recreation. By prioritizing organizations and agencies serving low-income youth and youth of color, King County Parks seeks to enhance youth access to and participation in physical activity.

The 49-year-old pool continues to experience age-related issues, which have forced 15 days of emergency closures and more than $100,000 of emergency repairs this year. This grant will repair the water heating boiler system, strainer basket, and filter media replacement.

"Grants like this are paramount for public safety. They enable the pool district to continue providing essential swim lessons, ensuring water safety and fostering a confident, capable community for years to come," said Shane Young, president of the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District, which operates Mount Rainier Pool.

The pool draws users primarily from Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Kent-West Hill. It provides public access to swim instruction, water exercise, and a competitive venue for over 60,000 people. Hundreds of kids learn to swim each year at the pool, and for many teenagers, the lifeguard/swim instructor programs provide their first jobs and entrees to possible first-responder careers.

King County's decision 25 years ago to discontinue operating its 16-pool Forward Thrust pool system led initially to an agreement amongst local cities and Highline Public Schools to operate Mount Rainier Pool jointly. In 2009, Des Moines residents voted to create a metropolitan park district to ensure the pool's continued existence.

While Highline Public Schools owns the pool facility, the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District has leased and operated it since 2009. Normandy Park also continues to provide financial support.

Updates on Mount Rainier Pool initiatives are available at our Aquatic Feasibility Page.

See other recent grants the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District has received below.

Mount Rainier Pool Study Page

Aquatic Feasibility Study

In 2022, the Mount Rainier Pool was awarded $100,000 from King County to perform an aquatic feasibility study covering a comprehensive assessment and feasibility of its potential for expanded services. The study was completed in late 2023.

Click here for more information.

Also, click here to download a copy of the Existing Conditions Assessment and Feasibility Study.

Best Starts for Kids/ Des Moines Legacy Foundation Free Swim Lessons

In 2023, the Des Moines Legacy Foundation partnered with the Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District to offer $25,000 in free swim lessons to the community. Overall, the pool district, with the help of King County, the State of Washington Office of Public School Instructor (OPSI), and the Des Moines Legacy Foundation, has offered over $100,000 in free swim lessons over the last couple of years.

King County and the Des Moines Legacy Foundation have also helped fund free lifeguard certifications and other community programming since the start of the pandemic. Thank you:)

More Opportunities

The Des Moines Pool Metropolitan Park District is excited to announce additional grants in the future including another Best Starts for Kids grant, King County Your Backyard grant, and more coming soon. We hope to help everyone in our community to have access to the Mount Rainier Pool, swim lessons and water safety. More information coming soon.

Contact

Do you have more questions or want to speak to someone in person? Our staff is here to help. You can call them at 206.824.4722 or at FrontDesk@MtRainierPool.com.

Office hours are:

Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm & 4-7:30pm
Saturday, 9am-1:30pm

We hope to have more information on other programming as conditions change. Thank you for following these communications.