Timely article in NYT today.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/04/us/segregation-nile-swim-club.html?
On Fri, Jul 8, 2022 at 7:28 PM Sarah Eisner > wrote:
Dear Mayor Nash and Menlo Park City Council Members,
I am 50 and I've been following Tim Sheeper from pool to pool for over half my life. Yes, he runs an incredibly well organized pool for the entire community, but it's about more than running the pool, more than swimming, and I know others have already made very accurate arguments for Tim's expertise there. I have traveled the world visiting public pools myself, and have never seen anything run as well as Burgess.
And...
Tim has not only put his entire heart and soul into Burgess Pool, but has created and stewarded world-changing programs for community members far and wide, both through his care at Burgess and at Belle Haven Pool, and through other programs he's inspired and run.
I challenge you to find another human like Tim, who can and wants to both manage (successfully) the day to day details of a large public pool (three, with different temperatures and purposes, actually) that encourages ALL to enjoy the space, coaches hugely devoted masters and triathlon teams, provides for high level youth swim teams and camps and youth and adult lessons and aqua aerobics and recreation time, and also creates programs to integrate West Menlo Park with East Menlo Park and East Palo Alto that extend well beyond the water.
Public pools are about much more than swimming. They are about equity and accessibility. So is Tim.
Who else but Tim would create and run a (yearly) year-long mentorship program between masters swimmers and mentees in East Palo Alto; a program that established lifelong mutual care relationships across communities? Who else would spend his spare time (after the management and coaching and parenting of his own three children) to dream up and help bring to fruition a foundation, Beyond Barriers Athletic Foundation, which so many of my teammates now work for and support, to save lives and change lives across communities through aquatics? Did you know that every day, there are 10 accidental drowning deaths in the US? That the fatal-drowning rate of Black and Brown children is three times higher than White children because of lack of accessibility to public pools and swim lessons?
BBAF started at Belle Haven serving just under 100 children. In 2019, BBAF provided for 9,100 swim lessons, serving 2,000 children. In addition, BBAF subsidized 1,200 other aquatic lessons. During the 2020 pandemic year, BBAF was able to serve 300 children, providing for 1,200 swim lessons and over 700 hours of other aquatic, physical, and wellness activities.
Since inception, BBAF has grown considerably, impacting 10,600 children, subsidizing 44,500 swim lessons and 9,500 hours of other aquatic activities.
BBAF exists because of Tim's dream and inspiration. Making pools and swimming accessible to the largest number of people to spread the greatest amount of joy and healthfulness to ALL is who Tim IS.
If you knew him personally, you would know the entire worlds of connections and positivity that he has inspired in Menlo Park and East Palo Alto, and beyond. If you let him walk, we all lose. NO ONE will be able to offer the breadth of services at the pool and the immeasurable positive effect on the community at large as Tim Sheeper. And in this time when we are losing so much, I am begging you please to hold on to Tim.
Best,
Sarah Eisner
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[https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1M-4y1WcbRH7eWnltozFpr4uYpmBYC4lo&export=download]
Sarah Eisner
Co-founder
Website https://reparationsproject.org/
Mobile 650-867-9450
[facebook] [twitter] [youtube] [instagram]
--
[https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1M-4y1WcbRH7eWnltozFpr4uYpmBYC4lo&export=download]
Sarah Eisner
Co-founder
Website https://reparationsproject.org/
Mobile 650-867-9450
[facebook] [twitter] [youtube] [instagram]
