Kathy Huttel, executive director of the St. Thomas Swimming Association, was still "absorbing" some very good news Wednesday evening from a very unexpected source — the Virgin Islands government.
Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen said earlier in the day that she had asked the Legislature's legal counsel to draft legislation appropriating $250,000 to complete the Estate Nazareth Community Aquatic Center Pool. Hansen, Finance Committee chairwoman, has recently taken an aggressive role investigating what has happened to the territory's now-fragile marine industry. She held a public hearing last Thursday.
The swimming association, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization formed in 1986, has been working on the project for years, with countless hurdles and a lot of hard work by volunteers, Huttel said.
"I laud the senators for the effort," she said, "I'm excited. I've only had time to tell two of my 12 board members."
Huttel said she had spoken with Eddie Donoghue, a consultant in Hansen's office, on Monday when he told her of Hansen's interest in the project. "We haven't lobbied the Legislature or any other government entity for funds," Huttel said.
The association is well-known for its swimming programs run in conjunction with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Special Olympics, Lutheran Church Summer Camp and other organizations.
Huttel's focus has remained constant from the beginning: to teach local children to swim in a non-threatening environment protected from the elements. She has worked with the Kids and the Sea, or KATS, swimming program at Magens Bay for years. She has recognized the need for a pool for adults as well as for children for exercise and rehabilitation.
What the association has done over the years is a lot of fund-raising. The West Indian Co. Ltd. has been a big contributor, and for 13 years Bellows International has sponsored the association's annual Snapple Swim-O-Thon at Magens Bay.
In 1999 Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises donated $100,000 for the center, and the association added another $187,800, to pour the pool. That is phase one of a five-phase project, which eventually will encompass two pools, concession areas and dorms for visitors for international competitors in swim meets.
Hansen said, "As a tourism destination, one of our goals should be equipping our children with all manner of aquatic skills." She said children should learn to swim to prepare them for careers in the local marine industry.
"I would be remiss if I did not support this project," Hansen said.
