From the Prattville Bradford YMCA
Seventh Annual Sink-a-Palooza
Prattville YMCA’s Emerging Leaders Making a Splash in Seventh Annual Sink-a-Palooza; Aiming to Raise $35,000 for the Y’s Coach-a-Child Campaign
Prattville, AL (August 2024) – The Prattville YMCA Emerging Leaders Board is hosting the seventh annual Sink-a-Palooza on Saturday, August 17, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the YMCA’s Willis Bradford Branch. This wet and wild fundraiser, sponsored by Blue Haven Pools & Spas, is a fun-filled family day by the pool in support of the Coach-a-Child Scholarship Fund.
The community is invited to experience this one-of-a-kind event by hanging out around the pool with family and friends. Enjoy free admission regardless of Y membership but come prepared to donate to your favorite boat captains to help reach this year’s $30,000 fundraising goal. This event is open to the general public; no YMCA membership is required.
Sink-a-Palooza, the area’s only fundraiser of its kind, made its debut in 2018, the same year the Prattville YMCA’s Emerging Leaders Board was formed, and has since raised nearly $100,000 towards scholarships that provide free or discounted YMCA services to underprivileged children in the area. “This is one time where being the captain of a sinking ship is a good thing,” said Rebecca Thomas, Sink-a-Palooza spokesperson. “The quicker a boat captain can sink their ship through fundraising efforts, the quicker they can get out of the line of fire.”
How It Works
Boat captains, made up of local community leaders, paddle around the YMCA’s pool rallying the support of family, friends, coworkers, and total strangers by encouraging the purchase of water guns, ice buckets, and walk the planks in their name to reach their team goal of $2,000 and “sink” their ship.
Purchases range from $15 to $125 and can be purchased online through the captain’s giving page before the event or on the pool deck on August 17. In addition to the action in the pool, the Caldwell & Sons Plumbing and Drain Splash Bucket is back again this year! This celebrity dunking booth tests your aim on some of the areas elected officials, school coaches, YMCA staffers, and more. Purchase three chances to soak your favorite participant for $20.
The Prattville YMCA Emerging Leaders Board is a group of community leaders between the ages of 20-40, many of which grew up at the YMCA as a child, who use their gifts and talents to ensure that all children, regardless of ability to pay, can enjoy the safety and security of childcare or after school programs as well as learn teamwork and healthy competition through youth sports.
“I was looking for a way to intentionally engage the now young professionals that I remember as children growing up here,” said Keith Cantrell, Prattville YMCA’s Assistant General Director. “The Y has given so much to them that it seemed natural to ask them to give back.” Blue Haven Pools and Spas is sponsoring this event for the third consecutive year. Blue Haven Pools provides pool construction services throughout the River Region, including Auburn and Opelika. As the top pool builder in the US, according to Pool & Spa News, Blue Haven is the smart choice for your custom gunite or vinyl-lined pool needs. You can learn more about Blue Haven Pools at www.bluehaven.com.
Keith Cantrell, Assistant General Director
