Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA cuts the ribbon on new outdoor pool in Ocean Springs

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WXXV)- Just in time for summer, the Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA is making a splash with a new outdoor pool. This pool is designed to save lives, build confidence, and bring families closer together.

WXXV’s Asia Ellis takes us to Ocean Springs with more.

After years of planning, the Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA finally celebrated its new outdoor pool with a ribbon cutting ceremony in Ocean Springs.

The new pool expands opportunities for swim lessons, water safety programs, and family activities. Mississippi YMCA CEO Jara Miller said, “It is wonderful to see this project come to fruition and to actually see this pool be here. Instead of a muddy hole or a small pool that had lots of issues, so to see everything come together after years of visioning and working hard to get to this spot. It’s just amazing and I’m so excited for the community.”

For special guest Merileigh Miner Furr, the celebration was personal. After her family witnessed a child drown in Pascagoula years ago, they turned that tragedy into a commitment to teach life-saving swim skills to future generations. “When my parents first bought the property in 1972, they only had enough to build a little bitty small pool. Now to see years later, the YMCA with their great leadership and the Blossman family, they raised enough funds to put in this beautiful, big outdoor pool and my parents would be so proud! This is a great place. If you join the “Y” and you come swimming with your child two or three or four times a week, giving them the opportunity to experiment in the water in a wonderful, safe pool like this will give them a wonderful relationship with the water.”

The YMCA says this is only the beginning of its aquatics expansion with the new indoor pool expected to open by mid-September as the organization continues working toward its $3.9 million fundraising goal.