Phoenix, 2/28/17
On Tuesday February 28, 2017 the Ability360 Sports & Fitness Complex held the grand reopening of their aquatic center.
Making a Splash
The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Award made the renovation, that exceeded $100,000, possible.
The Ability360 Sports & Fitness Complex’s General Manager and Vice President, Gus LaZear, applied for the Diamondbacks grant hoping to update the pools. In his proposal to the Diamondbacks LaZear said the grant would be used to re-plaster the pools. He later asked if he could rewrite his proposal to include new chair lifts.
When the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation learned the entire plan to renovate the pools they asked LaZear to estimate tie project cost.
Last March, all 12 finalists were told they were recipients of the grant. Customarily, three organizations are chosen. When LaZear walked off the stage, Tara Trzinski, Senior Manager, Community & Foundation Operations, said the Diamondbacks would give Ability360 $100,000 so they could fund the entire pool renovation.
Our Partners
Shasta Pools rebuilt the pools and were able to get them ready by February. They are the gold standard of commercial pools and did an amazing job.
Aquatic Environmental Systems (AES) put in the computer control systems, heaters and renovated the pool yard. AES also performs the routine maintenance on the Ability360 pools.
“They were instrumental in telling us what needed to be fixed. Now they are excited to work here because we have the best of the best.”
Gus LaZear
Ability Center installed the Aqua Creek pool pro chairs/lifts. These user-friendly chairs will last a longer than the previous lift chairs.
To LaZear the biggest and most important change was making the therapy pool one foot shallower in the deep end. At the new depth, more people can use the pool for various programs and therapy.
The Grand Reopening
Baxter the Bobcat cut the ribbon to officially reopen the pools. Trzinski, Debbie Castaldo, Secretary for the Diamondbacks Foundation, and former Diamondback, Willie Bloomquist were also in attendance.
Come make a splash in our pools. We hope you love them as much as we do.