Lorne Moorhead is one of the latest donors to the Flin Flon Aqua Centre replacement project. He has a challenge for Flin Flonners - he wants them to follow his lead.
The long-time pastor, now retired, put forward an unknown sum of money to the campaign to build a new pool complex in Flin Flon, part of whose budget for construction is tied to community contributions. Like other large-scale projects such as the revamped emergency department at Flin Flon General Hospital, part of the project requires what is called a “community contribution” - donations from either groups or private citizens to help cover costs.
Moorhead said he wants to see more Flin Flonners, including seniors, to kick in money to help build a new pool - a facility that could be used for all ages, ranging from kids’ swimming lessons to seniors swimming and fitness classes.
“When I first heard about it, I thought I’d like to donate,” he said.
Moorhead especially wants to see seniors helping out with the fundraising - so much so that he and Aqua Centre Fundraising Committee volunteers have started a special seniors’ fundraising challenge. Until June 1 next year, anyone age 55 or over who donates at least $25 to the project will be entered in a draw for one of several gifts, which will be drawn next June - first prize is the official first annual pass for the new pool once it opens.
For Moorhead, donating to the pool is a personal matter. When he was a small boy, Moorhead learned how to swim the hard way - by almost drowning. While at a lake with his brothers, Moorhead said he slid off a rock and into the water, “thrashing around like a wild thing”, in his words.
“I was terrorized,” he said.
His brothers came and showed him how to float properly on the water, calming him down and keeping him from going under. They eventually pulled him from the lake, but decades later, the memory still lingers.
“That’s no way to learn how to swim. It’s far better to get some instruction somewhere safe,” he said.
Some new donations to the project have already come in since the plan began.
Moorhead said he hopes people from Flin Flon, as well as others from around the area and in Saskatchewan, would help donate to the campaign.
“I approached them with the idea of maybe establishing a special fund that seniors could donate to for the pool committee - they took it to the committee and thought it would be a good idea to have a fund for seniors, hopefully to encourage people to get on board and donate,” he said.
“I thought if the seniors could donate as a group, it would demonstrate to young people and children in our community that we’re interesting in having them learn to swim and have the recreation, to prevent them from learning to swim how I did.”
The Aqua Centre committee is also holding its own fundraisers over the coming weeks and months, including a 50/50 that will run until Boxing Day and a letter-writing contest for kids ages 12 and younger - the winner of the contest will win a pool party at the Victoria Inn in 2025. Kids have to write a letter to the committee about why they’re excited about the new Aqua Centre, then email the letter to [email protected] - the winner will receive a pool party for them and up to 12 friends.
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