The Fund for Bogalusa recently awarded a grant to the YMCA in Bogalusa to purchase equipment and make repairs to the facilities’ pool and replace the 50-year-old filtration system.

“Our pool serves over 1500 youth in the summer — swim lessons, lifeguard training, summer camps, water aerobics and open swim, our pool is used for birthday parties, Project Grad, ROTC — We are the only public pool in this area,” said Stuart Parker, Chief Executive Officer. The goal is to expand recreational activities offered during the summer months and also make these available during the academic school year.

The Bogalusa YMCA was founded in the early 1900s to provide community programs and activities to adults, children, and families of Washington Parish and the surrounding areas. The Bogalusa YMCA offers year-round recreational activities such as health and fitness, aquatics, camping, community development and sports.

The Fund of Bogalusa at the Northshore Community Foundation was established in 1999 to meet the changing human service and economic development needs and opportunities of the Bogalusa area. The Fund for Bogalusa partners with nonprofit organizations that are committed to and actively involved in building the Bogalusa community through economic development and human services.

The Fund believes that communities are strengthened when people see themselves as resources and find successful ways of marshaling their talents and those of local organizations to solve problems.

To date, the Fund has awarded $288,250 in grants and scholarships. For more information on the fund, visit the Northshore Community Foundation’s website at northshorefoundation.org.