The Voorhees Swim Club is in a challenging fight for survival.
With significant financial burdens and increased operating costs, the community hub in the Sturbridge Woods development will cease to exist if board members and local supporters can’t save it with fundraising and community initiatives.
Board members emphasize that eliminating debt is crucial.
“If we can eliminate the club’s debt, the pool can be profitable (and) can be used for the benefit of our members, either via improvements to the club or decreased membership fees,” explained board member Joe Kuklis.
The club has organized a series of fundraising events aimed at paying down that debt, including an open house and glow party next month. A major fundraising effort will take place Saturday at Ott’s Berlin and will feature food, drinks, raffle items and games.
The club has also launched a GoFundMe campaign, Help Save the Pool, that has a goal of $60,000. And the response from some local businesses has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Among them are JDogs, Dominic’s Pizza, AAA, Dooney’s Pub, Ott’s Berlin, Kids Cuts of Voorhees, Danscapes and Rosenblatt Roofing.
The long-term goal of the Voorhees Swim Club besides eliminating debt is to allow future profits to be reinvested in improvements for members.
“The board has established a strict budget and relentlessly turns over every rock to maintain it,” Kuklis noted.
Potential improvements – if funded – would include upgraded playground equipment, a splash pool for younger children, Bocce courts and a horseshoe pit, alongside extended hours and more club-sponsored events.
The club serves not only the Sturbridge Woods development but also nearby neighborhoods in Gibbsboro and Berlin. It is home to the Voorhees Stingrays swim team, which provides a valuable summer activity for kids and feeds into the Eastern Regional High School swim program.
The significance of the club to members is evident in their personal stories and commitment to saving it. Board member Regina Giansanti reflected on how it shaped her children’s summers, especially during the challenging 2020 COVID season.
“The VSC saved our summer,” she said, highlighting the club’s role in bringing families together.
Club president John Conners also realizes the importance of the swim club to the community.
“My mindset was, well, you didn’t do anything, so you might as well see this to the end,'” he explained. “After a meeting with past board members and fellow town members, I realized we had people who wanted … this swim club to continue.”
Conners also expressed a heartfelt message that underscores the club’s mission.
“The purpose of any swim club is community,” he pointed out. “I truly believe in our community and all I do is for our community. We will have a swim club this summer and for summers to come.”
For more information or to get involved, contact trustees@voorheesswimclub.com or visit the GoFundMe page at Save the Voorhees Swim Club!
