I am a Health and Fitness Teacher at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. My day begins and ends watching all of the different people the M-PHS Swimming Pool serves everyday. The Mighty Marlins Swim Team has over 100 members. They include nationally-ranked swimmers on their way to college scholarships to older “Masters” swimmers. The morning swimmers alone range in age from 14-55.

Three mornings a week people lap swim and/or do water aerobics. Some are exercising for fitness, others are training for the Ironman Triathlon. One of our “regulars” is a former M-P student who has just returned from serving four years in the Marines and is now preparing to be a Navy Seal.

At 11:15 a.m. the pool is full of people with young children and/or senior citizens. I asked one of the seniors one day what the pool meant to her. She replied simply, “It keeps me going.” In addition, the pool is the practice facility for the both High School Swim and Dive teams as well as evening practices for the Marlins and our Community Swim Lessons Program.

The pool is a teaching station for the Fitness and Special Education classes at M-PHS. Sixth period we have a class called Elementary Swim. The high school students teach Fourth- and Fifth-graders how to swim. Some days we will have more than 80 students in the pool.

Our pool is literally saving lives. Please vote “Yes” for Marysville Schools on Feb. 9 in order to continue funding everything our pool offers the community.

Jaci LeGore Hodgins

Marysville