The city has officially reversed its decision and will allow us to continue our operations at the aquatic center. I am grateful to everyone who supported this effort to keep our water safety program accessible to the community. We will remain vigilant to ensure that these services remain available for …
October 5, 2015
Final supporters
As many of you know, we are still fighting for Splashes and Smiles to remain at The Pompano Beach Aquatic Center. If you are unaware of the situation, these are the brief facts:
1. The Pompano Piranhas Swim Team (a NON PROFIT organization) has pushed through a contract that excludes ANY other youth swim program from using the Pompano Beach Aquatic Center (PBAC), a PUBLIC pool, funded by taxpayers. This means we will be forced to relocate our program.
2. They have given us NO legitimate reason. They continue to state that we are competition, despite the fact that we are not a swim team.
3. Splashes and Smiles pays rent to use the PBAC. The Piranhas do not pay at all. Cutting our program out of the PBAC would result in a minimal loss of $5,000-$7,000 each fiscal year for the City of Pompano Beach.
4. We have run our program without a single issue for 7 years at the PBAC.
5. We have tried to negotiate, and make it work for everyone, but the Parks & Recreation Department continues to side with the Piranhas. They have yet to provide us with a legitimate explanation.
This is an injustice to local businesses, the families and community of Pompano Beach, and everyone with the same mission as us to END drowning in South Florida. It is a disgrace that anyone is competing to teach children to swim, with South Florida leading in the number of children drowning each year.
"Drowning is the second-leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old, outpaced only by birth defects, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the typical culprits: Lack of barriers. Lack of close supervision. Victims who can't swim." -- Sun-Sentinel, Feb 2014
Please let your voices be heard along with ours! We will do everything possible to continue to keep our program accessible to the community of Pompano Beach.
In addition to signing our petition, if you would like to voice your concerns separately, please email:
Mayor Lamar Fisher, Mayor at Large
[email protected]
Vice Mayor Charlotte Burrie
[email protected]
Commissioner Barry Dockswell
[email protected]
Commissioner Rex Hardin
[email protected]
Commissioner Barry Moss
[email protected]
Commissioner Ed Phillips
[email protected]
Dennis Beach City Manager
[email protected]
As always, we are grateful for the constant support of all of our wonderful families and community.
Updates
July 16, 2015
The petition has surpassed two hundred and fifty signatures. This level of public interest provides necessary momentum as we continue to challenge the current contract decisions.
Reached 250 supporters
July 13, 2015
Reached 100 supporters
July 10, 2015
109 Comments
Public pools should be a venue that has classes to teach children to swim. Drowning is one of the most frequent causes of deaths for children. Please reconsider. Thank you for spending our tax dollars wisely.
We love Miss Samantha & all her instructors, and we see them as a great asset to the Pompano Aquatics Center. She draws many families to the Pompano Parks & should be able to remain there.
Why would anyone want to ban someone from teaching water safety through swimming lessons? These are the children of our community that we are talking about. If my kids were still swimming with the Piranhas, I would hold this same opinion.
The City of Pompano Beach should be ashamed. There is absolutely no legitimate reason as to why the Piranhas need to monopolize that facility. Splashes & Smiles is NOT a threat to the Piranhas success as a competitive swim program.
Please Keep splashes and smiles at the Pompano Pool. I have a child with cerebral palsy who will never be on a swim team. Samantha and all of her team are the best swim team he will ever have!! They are awesome, caring, instructors. Please keep them there!!!
The reason the parks and Rec dept sides with the parahanas is because some of the parks and Rec department employees Coach for the parahanas!
My infant son has learned amazing skills through this program. Splashes and Smiles are an important partof the public pool. Please do the right things for your pompano citizens.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
The city has officially reversed its decision and will allow us to continue our operations at the aquatic center. I am grateful to everyone who supported this effort to keep our water safety program accessible to the community. We will remain vigilant to ensure that these services remain available for …
October 5, 2015
Final supporters
As many of you know, we are still fighting for Splashes and Smiles to remain at The Pompano Beach Aquatic Center. If you are unaware of the situation, these are the brief facts:
1. The Pompano Piranhas Swim Team (a NON PROFIT organization) has pushed through a contract that excludes ANY other youth swim program from using the Pompano Beach Aquatic Center (PBAC), a PUBLIC pool, funded by taxpayers. This means we will be forced to relocate our program.
2. They have given us NO legitimate reason. They continue to state that we are competition, despite the fact that we are not a swim team.
3. Splashes and Smiles pays rent to use the PBAC. The Piranhas do not pay at all. Cutting our program out of the PBAC would result in a minimal loss of $5,000-$7,000 each fiscal year for the City of Pompano Beach.
4. We have run our program without a single issue for 7 years at the PBAC.
5. We have tried to negotiate, and make it work for everyone, but the Parks & Recreation Department continues to side with the Piranhas. They have yet to provide us with a legitimate explanation.
This is an injustice to local businesses, the families and community of Pompano Beach, and everyone with the same mission as us to END drowning in South Florida. It is a disgrace that anyone is competing to teach children to swim, with South Florida leading in the number of children drowning each year.
"Drowning is the second-leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old, outpaced only by birth defects, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among the typical culprits: Lack of barriers. Lack of close supervision. Victims who can't swim." -- Sun-Sentinel, Feb 2014
Please let your voices be heard along with ours! We will do everything possible to continue to keep our program accessible to the community of Pompano Beach.
In addition to signing our petition, if you would like to voice your concerns separately, please email:
Mayor Lamar Fisher, Mayor at Large
[email protected]
Vice Mayor Charlotte Burrie
[email protected]
Commissioner Barry Dockswell
[email protected]
Commissioner Rex Hardin
[email protected]
Commissioner Barry Moss
[email protected]
Commissioner Ed Phillips
[email protected]
Dennis Beach City Manager
[email protected]
As always, we are grateful for the constant support of all of our wonderful families and community.
Updates
July 16, 2015
The petition has surpassed two hundred and fifty signatures. This level of public interest provides necessary momentum as we continue to challenge the current contract decisions.
Reached 250 supporters
July 13, 2015
Reached 100 supporters
July 10, 2015
109 Comments
Wonderful school with wonderful instructors!! They should not be forced out! My son is a great swimmer thanks to them and that is so important in general, but especially living in South Florida where we are surrounded by canals and most everyone has a pool! It's critical for our children!
Public pools should be a venue that has classes to teach children to swim. Drowning is one of the most frequent causes of deaths for children. Please reconsider. Thank you for spending our tax dollars wisely.
We love Miss Samantha & all her instructors, and we see them as a great asset to the Pompano Aquatics Center. She draws many families to the Pompano Parks & should be able to remain there.
Why would anyone want to ban someone from teaching water safety through swimming lessons? These are the children of our community that we are talking about. If my kids were still swimming with the Piranhas, I would hold this same opinion.
The City of Pompano Beach should be ashamed. There is absolutely no legitimate reason as to why the Piranhas need to monopolize that facility. Splashes & Smiles is NOT a threat to the Piranhas success as a competitive swim program.
Please Keep splashes and smiles at the Pompano Pool. I have a child with cerebral palsy who will never be on a swim team. Samantha and all of her team are the best swim team he will ever have!! They are awesome, caring, instructors. Please keep them there!!!
The reason the parks and Rec dept sides with the parahanas is because some of the parks and Rec department employees Coach for the parahanas!
My infant son has learned amazing skills through this program. Splashes and Smiles are an important partof the public pool. Please do the right things for your pompano citizens.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
Wonderful school with wonderful instructors!! They should not be forced out! My son is a great swimmer thanks to them and that is so important in general, but especially living in South Florida where we are surrounded by canals and most everyone has a pool! It's critical for our children!