Monday, March 26, 2007 10:35 PM CDT
Local pool store owner volunteers time to install pool for Vietnam, Iraq veteran
By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com
PARIS -- The owner of Gopher Pools in Paris recently volunteered along with several colleagues to build a therapy swimming pool for a wounded veteran of Vietnam and Iraq.
Gopher Pools owner Riley Bogue helped construct the pool for veteran Steven Natow of Kissimmee, Fla. on Feb. 23-24 during the San Juan Fiberglass Pools National Dealer Academy Convention and Seminars.
More than 60 San Juan dealers from across the United States and other countries took part in the project, Bogue estimated. He said they installed an in-ground pool and spa, pump and filtration systems, a concrete deck, and landscaping.
“It went from start to a finished product in two days,” Bogue said. He added such a project would normally take four to five working days to complete.
Bogue said Natow’s doctor recommended he use aquatic therapy to recover from a broken hip and knee injuries. He said the veteran’s wife would have needed to drive an hour and 45 minutes one way to reach the nearest aquatic therapy location.
San Juan, pool dealers, and pool equipment vendors donated the funds and supplies needed for the therapy pool. This pool is valued at $45,000.
“The total cost was done at zero cost to him,” Bogue said.
The therapy pool’s cover and temperature can be controlled from afar by a remote control, Bogue said. The pool also has a system that enables the veteran to swim in place against a current, he said.
“I got to work with some of the latest technology, the real innovative stuff,” Bogue said.
Bogue said volunteers ate lunch with Natow and his wife under a canopy on their front yard. Bogue said he felt honored to visit with the veteran and hear about his experiences in two wars.
Natow was grateful for the therapy pool and hoped other wounded veterans would have the same opportunity, Bogue said. This was the second time since 2005 San Juan has donated a pool to an injured veteran, he said.
Bogue started Gopher Pools four years ago just prior to graduating with a business management degree from Indiana State University.
Gopher Pools installs in-ground and above-ground pools and spas, and provides related services. The business covers Edgar County, Coles County, and neighboring areas.
Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 348-5734.
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shepsmsmollie wrote on Sep 23, 2007 2:29 PM: