FLATROCK, N.C. (WLOS) — With outdoor swimming season over and year-round public pool options limited, a growing push for a new indoor aquatic center in Henderson County is getting a fundraising boost Thursday through two film documentary screenings at Flat Rock Cinema.
The nonprofit Support Our Swimmers is using the film "When Everyone Swims" to raise money and awareness for its proposed aquatic center. Organizers say more residents are joining the conversation about swimming access, particularly as Patton Pool remains closed following Helene.
For some local organizations, the loss of that pool has already changed how they can serve children.
"It was devastating for us because we used it on a weekly basis for all our field trips," said Carlos Vega, chief operations officer for the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County.
HENDERSON COUNTY'S ONLY PUBLIC POOL CLOSED FOR SECOND SUMMER AFTER HELENE
Vega said Patton Pool provided a nearby, supervised place for children to swim. Since its closure, he said the club has had to turn to natural bodies of water, while some alternative pool options require traveling outside the county.
The access gap also raises concerns about children losing opportunities to develop and maintain swimming skills, he said.
"If they don't have access to a place to swim the rest of the year, then they lose those skills, and so we're trying to prevent drowning," said Katie Breckheimer of Support Our Swimmers.
The nonprofit is advocating for a facility featuring a 50-meter competition pool and a 25-yard program pool. Its vision includes swimming lessons, water-safety instruction, aquatic therapy and other programs available throughout the year.
That message is also central to "When Everyone Swims," a documentary exploring how access to pools and safe swimming environments intersects with public safety and inequality. Bryan Byrd, owner of Flat Rock Cinema, said the event is helping introduce more people to the effort.
"People are interested and they want to know about this effort," Byrd said. "That's been a really exciting thing, is getting people talking about the work SOS (Support Our Swimmers) is doing."
Breckheimer said support has even come from some of the community's youngest members. At a recent event, she recalled a boy approaching the group with a bag containing mostly quarters.
"He said, 'This is about six dollars,' and he handed it to us and he says, 'This is for the cause,' and then he ran away," Breckheimer said.
The event also comes as Hendersonville works toward restoring its public pool. , with completion unlikely before 2028.
The documentary screenings are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8. Organizers said each showing will be followed by a question-and-answer discussion.
Tickets are available in person and on this .