Triangle Aquatic Center News

May 8, 2008 - Learn and Play at TAC!
New for May, National Aquatic Safety Month, TAC is offering a healthy alternative activity for groups of children ages 5-11. It's called "Learn and Play", and consists of 30 minutes of water safety instruction followed by an hour of open swim / play time. The safety component of the session is structured around the American Red Cross "Whale's Tales" program and provides children with important information and direction for safe behavior in, around or on the water. Each lesson is reinforced with color posters, worksheets, activities and a video featuring "Longfellow" the animated whale. Talk to our Program Director, Doracy Harrison to help plan the hour long playtime component for your group! Each session can be tailored depending on the age range and aquatic abilities present in the group. Up to 20 swimmers can be accommodated. These sessions serve as a great alternative to or as a compliment to other summer activities for your neighborhood friends, classmates, or other organized groups. All TAC pools can be made available to accommodate your needs. Cost is $5 per child, with a minimum of 10 per group. Contact Doracy for more information or to arrange your gathering at 919.459.4045 X223. Please call at least two weeks in advance of your desired date.

March 4, 2008 - Water Polo: Now Every Tuesday Night at TAC!
Get your group of friends together, or just stop by the pool on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 for our increasingly popular water polo scrimmages! Due to tremendous response, we now offer water polo EVERY Tuesday through May. All the equipment is here at the pool, making for an easy way for you to get started in this exciting sport. Evenings start with a few drills and practice... then let the games begin! Open to men and women 16 and older. Come and see why water polo is definitely growing here in the Triangle. Each Tuesday more and more folks stop by and join the fun - don't be left out! We've seen a big surge in the number of adults who are once again getting back into playing water polo at the Triangle Aquatic Center. It's a ton of fun and great exercise! Pre-registration is not required, and the cost is $8 for adults, $4 for students with student ID. Additional details can be found in our Programs section.

October 28, 2007 - Triangle Aquatic Center Grand Opening
Over 1000 community swimmers and well-wishers attended TAC's new Michael G. Curran Aquatic Center for the Grand Opening celebration on Sunday, October 28th. After a ceremonial pouring of water, TAC officially welcomed its very first swimmer, 13 year old Stephanie Calleja, who won a free raffle to kick things off. "It felt really, really good", smiled Calleja. "I was just excited I got to go in there!" For TAC organizers and supporters, the swarm of people piling into the pool was the culmination of six years worth of planning. "It's a great day for Cary and Wake County, to have a facility like this open after all these years," said Mike Curran, TAC's volunteer President. "As you can see behind me there's an awful lot of excitement from both children and adults." Guest Speaker, UNC's Sue Walsh, holder of six current world records in Master's Swimming, charmed the audience with stories of her own swimming adventures, and gave a big thumb's up to the pool's location. "How great it is to have the pool so conveniently located next to Cary Towne Center. It's a fantastic location and a beautiful facility!" Other honored guests Tony Gurley, Wake Commissioner, Cary Mayor Ernie McAllister and several Cary Town Council members. "There are tremendous things that can be accomplished when government stays out of the way. And I think this is a case where we certainly saw that happen," said McAllister. All funding for the TAC facility has come from private and corporate donations. With ongoing support from the community, TAC intends to continue its mission to provide additional healthy, aquatic opportunities in other Wake County communities. Guests enjoyed a well-organized day of festivities including music by the Cardinal Gibbons Stage Band, refreshments from the new TAC concession area, giveaways from several vendors who work within the facility, and free swimming in the sparkling new pools. There were lots of oohs and ahhs as families and friends filled the seating area and caught their first glimpse of the three pools. TAC Program Manager Doracy Harrison reports that programming in the facility has already taken off, and TAC already has several major competitions lined up for the coming swim season. "We'll be busy, but we're looking forward to this much excitement and this many smiling faces every day."

September 16, 2007 - Volunteer Landscape Day
Over 75 shovel and rake wielding members of the local swimming community came out to the TAC site on a cool, sunny Saturday afternoon, September 16th, to plant bushes and trees around the new TAC facility. The large energized group made quick work of the donated topsoil, greenery and pinestraw as they contributed their efforts to one of the final tasks to get the site ready for the Grand Opening on October 28th at 1pm. After the work was done, several folks toured the interior. "Wow" was the word as the group moved from the entry, past the food service area and then finally into the spectator seating area. The interior is always a surprise to first-time visitors, given that the view of the top floor from the outside belies the sizable lower pool level first floor that is tucked nicely into the hillside. Thanks to this type of strong support from our community, the pool is right on schedule to open on October 29th!