Making a Splash

“If money were no object, what would you want for the children and youth of Hacienda?” In the 1980s, this question inspired the Squaw Peak Rotary Club to dive deep into their collective imaginations and execute one of the most exciting service projects in Hacienda’s history—the construction of an aquatic therapy pool. It was a project that brought joy and laughter to each resident; it brought a sense of freedom that they’d never experienced before.

The beaming smile of a resident moving freely was impossible to ignore. So, in the late 2000s, Kurt and Brenda Warner, donated funds to create an enclosure so that residents could experience freedom year-round. But, residents weren’t the only ones enjoying the pool; the roots of a nearby tree did too. The damage and the costly repairs caused by the tree root forced the closure of the therapy pool for nearly six years.

This fall everything changed thanks to funding from the City of Phoenix Community Development Block Grant, The Arizona Community Foundation, Mr. John and Mrs. Ann Kaites, and the Squaw Peak Rotary. On October 17, 2017, Hacienda held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the pools restoration. The program consisted of remarks by Hacienda’s CEO, Bill Timmons; Arizona House Minority Leader Rep. Rebecca Rios; philanthropist, Mr. John Kaites; Hacienda’s Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Payne; and Hacienda’s Clinical Director of Therapeutic Services, Tyler Shupe. The president of the newly re-established South Mountain Chamber of Commerce, Barry Cohen, presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony.

“With our new Therapy Pool, our patients will be able to experience a sense of freedom for the first time. Most of our patients are bound to a wheelchair and they don’t get to experience the freedom of movement and the pool will help them do that.” ~ Tyler Shupe, Physical Therapist

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