POLSON — The Rotary Club of Polson recently set a goal to raise $100,000 for Mission Valley Aquatics through member donations and the club’s Signature Project, the Aug. 25, 2012 Festival of Youth and Chili Cook Off event.

The event typically raises $15,000 for a local non-profit group through cook-off entry fees and raffle ticket sales for a number of large items, but this year, Rotary Club members are setting the bar high.

“It really was a snowball effect,” Polson Rotary President Rob Turner said of the $100,000 overall goal. “By the time it got rolling there wasn’t any stopping it. We’re going to hit the ground running.”

The donation will come from combined individual club member pledges and a matching grant from the club itself. Looking further down the line, Turner said he would like to explore the possibility of earning an additional grant from Rotary International.

“We feel very touched by this generous support from our local Rotary group,” MVA Project Director Tana Seeley said in an email to supporters Monday.

Raffle items include $1,000 cash, $1,000 in groceries, half of a Kobi beef, 120 bottles of wine and a coupon for $1,000 worth of gas. Tickets are $25, or five for $100 and can be purchased from Polson Rotary members or Mission Valley Aquatics board members.

Building update

According to Seeley, construction on the new facility is over halfway done and on track to open in September. Pool builders from Tacoma, Wash. will be arriving within the month to excavate the hole for the pool.

Local contractors have been key in many elements of the facility’s construction. However, the scope and complexity of the pool project has required the use of outside contractors as well.

“We’ve hired a lot of local people and we’re doing everything that we can to keep the jobs here locally,” MVA board president Hu Beaver said.

MVA has secured some private loans to help keep the project moving while the non-profit continues to work hard on raising the remainder of the funds needed to complete it.

An ‘80s dance party at the Ronan Airport hangar and a hardhat barbecue at the site are slated for June, and a soup bowl fundraiser and live auction will bring supporters and potential donors to view the site in the fall, after the facility is open. Smaller events for friends and family are scheduled as well, so everyone can have the opportunity to donate to the cause.

Lifeguards needed

As if staying on top of the building decisions isn’t absorbing enough for Seeley, with opening day only months away, now is the time to dig into training and certifying the new facility’s staff.

“We want to know who is out there and what certifications they may need help acquiring,” Seeley said. “We need to have a staff that is certified and ready to go when the facility opens.”

Prospective employees – swim instructors, lifeguards, receptionists, maintenance and janitorial staff – should contact Seeley at (406)883-4567 to apply for any of the positions that will become available at the facility.