After a fire destroyed the Tawasentha Park pool building, two businesses are stepping forward to donate toward its reconstruction.
Karen Southwick, co-owner of Crossfit Aevitas in Charles Park donated a check for $1,000 to Guilderland’s Parks and Recreation Department.
Albany Running Exchange (ARE) Event Productions had previously donated all of the day-of-race money raised from its June 27 Mud Mania 5 mud run to the park for building improvements. The company plans many similar running events locally.
The pool was open just one week this summer before being closed June 21, after a fire started at 4 a.m. and quickly spread throughout the building, destroying the entire pool building before fire crews made it to the scene. The fire was most-likely caused by an electrical problem. It destroyed the pool house, leaving patrons without lockers or bathrooms, and knocked out the park’s power.
Power was quickly restored in the following days and the park reopened two days after the fire. The pool reopened two weeks later on July 1, with the addition of temporary bathroom trailers.
The town plans to build a new pool house, and expects to go through a bidding process this summer so construction can occur in the fall and winter. The building can then re-open in time for next summer, said Guilderland Town Supervisor Kenneth Runion.
The money donated by ARE and Crossfit Aevitas will go towards the estimated $700,000 reconstruction. How much of that money will be covered by the town’s insurance carrier is still unclear.
Chad Southwick, co-owner of Crossfit Aevitas with his wife Karen Southwick, most recently donated $1,000 for the pool house’s reconstruction.
“We got our start by running boot camps in Tawasentha Park, so we’re always looking for ways to give back to the Parks and Rec. Department and the town because we really don’t think we would be where we are without their support,” said Southwick.
Their June 26 open house, celebrating the remodel of their facility on Charles Blvd. in Guilderland included a silent auction, all proceeds of which were donated to the town. The business and its members also donated toward the sum.
Before the Southwicks opened their gym almost two years ago, they incorporated the Tawasentha Pool into their workouts last summer during boot camps.
“When we use the pool it’s really a two-sided coin,” said Chad Southwick. “We get to use their facility, but by getting out in the community, people get to see that our version of fitness is a little different than the one they’re used to.”
Southwick said he appreciated how the town supported his local business, not only at its creation, but throughout the early stages of the business as well. He and the hundreds of people who helped put on the event were proud to have raised so much money for the pool.
After Mud Mania 5, a yearly event from ARE Productions, was cancelled the day of the event because it was scheduled for the same day the fire occurred, the event was rescheduled for later in the month. All day-of-race proceeds were then donated to the town.
“In light of such horrendous event, we thought it would be great gesture of our appreciation to not only still hold the event, but to really channel the cause of the event to donate for the pool house’s reconstruction,” said ARE Event Productions President Josh Merlis.
All $693 made that day, as well as an additional $1,500 from the business were donated. As Albany Running Exchange has held a free 10-week spring running series every Monday at the park for the past seven years, the demolition of the pool house hit close to home for them as well.
Runners in its summer programs at the park also utilized the locker room and facilities in the pool house, and many have become members of the pool in order to take a swim after runs.
Merlis said the town has always been very accommodating to his business, even allowing some of its runs to be held at little or no fee. As Merlis himself, as well as many Albany Running Exchange runners are Guilderland residents, he said he was glad to donate this money.
“The park is not just some venue we use, it is in backyard,” he said. “I definitely hope that town is able to build it as quickly as possible.”
“They understood how important pool house is to community in general,” said Runion. “It’s very, very nice to see businesses step forward like this.”
