Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay families finally have a pool at the South Dade YMCA. The Barbara and Philip Wong Aquatic Center, the facility's first on-site pool, has a grand opening celebration scheduled for Thursday, July 23, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Wong family's gift funded the facility
The aquatic center bears the name of Barbara and Philip Wong, whose financial gift helped bring the facility to life. The YMCA of South Florida honored the Wong family at the project's October groundbreaking, where CEO Sheryl A. Woods called them out by name, saying the organization is "deeply grateful to all our supporters here, particularly Barbara and Philip Wong, for this opportunity to bring our water safety programs to life in Dade County."
The YMCA posted the event on its website, with RSVPs due Wednesday, July 15. The center is at 9355 SW 134th St. in the Kendall area, a short drive from both Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay.
Lap pool, splash area and swim team planned
The aquatic center will feature a lap pool, a shallow entry pool and a splash-and-change area. Planned programming includes swim lessons, water safety education, open swim, lap swim, aqua fitness classes, an adult relaxation area and a competitive swim team.
The facility will serve more than 18,000 kids and families across South Dade, Kendall, Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay, according to the YMCA of South Florida. Local competitive swimmers have lacked a YMCA pool in the South Dade area, and the new facility's swim team adds a training option for young athletes in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay corridor.
Drowning remains leading cause of child deaths
Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 14 in Miami-Dade County, according to a June report citing the Florida Department of Health. Formal swim lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%, a figure cited by both the YMCA and Miami-Dade County Parks.
Summer membership deal tied to opening
The YMCA is running a summer membership promotion: Join for $6.99 and receive $25 toward sports or swim lessons, valid through Friday, July 31. The deal appears timed to the pool's opening.
The YMCA's summer camp listing also flags "coming soon — swim every day" and "coming soon — swim lessons," suggesting the pool will integrate with existing camp programming once it opens.
Families can RSVP for the July 23 grand opening on the YMCA of South Florida website. Regular pool hours and swim lesson registration details have not yet been posted.
