GCC pool a blessing in era of childhood inactivity, obesity

To the Editor:

Most would agree that it is rare these days to see kids playing a game of pick-up-ball, let alone getting exercise of any kind. After all, child obesity rates have tripled over the past 20 years to nearly 20 percent.

For 70 local kids, however, the pool at Gogebic Community College has provided them with the opportunity to swim competitively, often swimming five days a week all fall and winter.

Last year, the Barracuda Swim Team sent five kids to state competition. As the only lap pool within a 60-mile radius, the GCC pool is a vital community asset, not only to the competitive swimmers, but also to recreational swimmers and beginners as young as 6 months and with no top age limit.

In this era of underutilized parks and vacant sports fields, kids of the Gogebic Range are blessed to have a community resource like the GCC pool.

To borrow words from the GCC Purpose Statement, it would be reasonable that GCC would “utilize college resources through a cooperative effort with individuals, civic groups, educational institutions and other public or private organizations for specific benefit of the citizens of the college district” to keep the pool open.

Amy Lagalo,

Ironwood