Work continues to bring back the Paris Pool

PARIS, Illinois. (WTWO/WAWV) – Progress is being made on bringing back the pool to the Paris Rec Center.

The pool shut down in 2009, but many in the community said they wanted to see it come back. In 2019, Joe and Nila Hasler made a large donation toward that effort.

“The angels, the Hasler’s, they started it,” Steve Benefiel, the Vice President of the Rec Center said. “When people saw their commitment, then other people stepped up and said, ‘hey, we want to help too’.”

The Rec Center has since launched a $3 million capital campaign for the project and sustaining the center.

Executive Director Erin Hutchison says having the pool would bring back a lot of memories for the community and also provide future opportunities, such as programs for kids.

“I’ve told people it’s almost surreal,” Hutchison said. “You know it’s going to happen but until you see people actually working on this and all the plywood, and all this lumber, that’s when it kind of sank in. I’m not going to lie, it kind of moves you to tears a little bit when you think about the importance of this rec center.”

She says the campaign is just past the $1.8 million mark, but they still need $1.2 million to reach their goal.

You can learn more about the campaign and how to donate here .

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