POLSON — “There’s no more room for doubting,” said Polson resident Matt Seeley, husband to Mission Valley Aquatics Project Director Tana Seeley, in his closing remarks to a standing-room only crowd at the MVA groundbreaking ceremony last Friday afternoon.

“Fourteen years ago, I must admit, I was somewhat of a doubter,” he went on to say about the initial idea to build an indoor swimming pool in Polson. “Lucky for me I married a woman for whom that was not an option.”

About 200 people gathered at the future site of the Mission Valley Aquatic Center last week to celebrate the success of a fundraising campaign that will result in Lake County’s own community indoor aquatic facility, which should be completed next summer.

Lauded as a true asset to all members of the community, both young and old, Salish Kootenai College President Emeritus Joe McDonald spoke about the indoor facility benefitting families, specifically children learning to swim, while Lake County Commissioner Bill Baron touched on the need for low-impact exercise opportunities for older adults.

“This is a huge thing,” he added. “It’s more than today; it’s going to last for generations.”

At the heart of the festivities, however, was a plea to continue the push to raise money for a bigger, better, and more accommodating pool for all of Lake County’s users.

Construction of the building’s first phase, an eight-lane, 25-yard lap pool, will cost at about $650,000 more than MVA’s current $3 million in funds and pledges. And that doesn’t account for the warm water therapy pool, which was placed in phase II, requiring an additional $300,000.

“A pool represents a place of energy and health and vibrance in a community,” Seeley said. “It can be a place where people can come together and create memories that will last a lifetime. There are a lot of things we can spend our money on. Every aspect of this is positive.”