MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The First Annual Mylan Park Aquatic Center Swim-a-Thon is set for Sunday at Mylan Park in Morgantown.
Mylan Park Aquatics & Track, Director Jennifer Lainhart said they need community support to keep prices to the public affordable and continue holding free events.
But Lainhart said they also want to welcome the public in to see exactly what they offer and what it takes to maintain the facility in order to offer quality programming.
“We want to tell our story about how we need support of the community to continue operations,” Lainhart said. “Mylan Park is a non-profit organization, so this is a non-profit running a full recreational facility and the way it pays for itself is through usage.”
The Aquatic Center is a 90,000-square foot indoor facility with a 50-meter Olympic pool and diving well. The facility also has community pool with zero-depth entry, water slides, a splash pad and six-lane lap pool. There is also a fitness room and spaces available for rent to the public for special events.
“Our power bill on average is anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000-per month, so there are ongoing, high costs of running a facility like this,” Lainhart said.
The event event is scheduled for Sunday but for those who cannot participate that day laps can be completed through Dec. 15.
“It’s a big space to heat and we want to keep it warm when people come in from the cold to go swimming,” Lainhart said.