Located in the heart of the Ypsilanti, Rutherford Pool was a well-utilized facility serving a diverse range of community members from across the city, township, and county. Rutherford Pool was built in 1971 and was expected to last just 25 years. In the mid- 1990s, a vinyl liner was installed over the aluminum framework to help sustain its life and the community was able to stretch its life nearly 40 years. At peak season, daily attendance at Rutherford Pool averaged nearly 350 people daily, with some days over 500. Pool visits in 2010 totaled approximately 15,000.

This past summer (2012), one of the hottest on record, the pool was completely shut down because it was in such disrepair. Hundreds of children, seniors and families missed the opportunity to recreate, exercise, learn how to swim and cool off in Ypsilanti. The YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, which have grown significantly in Ypsilanti over the past three summers, were not able to bring their campers to swim. This left a huge gap in their services to our area youth.

The benefits of maintaining a public facility for swimming in Ypsilanti include:

• Providing affordable recreation for youth from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Connecting people of all ages, incomes, backgrounds, and abilities.
• Promoting physical fitness and self-improvement.
• Attracting and keeping businesses and residents in the city.

Since April 2011, Friends of Rutherford Pool has raised $840,000 for the pool rebuild. More than 200 families, individuals, foundations, and businesses have donated to the project including Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, Ypsilanti Township and the City of Ypsilanti. We are working tirelessly to raise another $90,000 so that we can rebuild the pool and have it open in time for summer 2013.