NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell today was joined by New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission CEO Larry Barabino, Jr., NORD Commission Chairman Theo C. Sanders III, Director of Office of Workforce Development Sunae Villavaso, Deputy Director of Office of Youth and Families (OYF) Anamaria Villamarin-Lupin, District C Councilmember and NORD Commission Member Freddie King III and No Kid Hungry Louisiana Director Rhonda Jackson to celebrate “Splash Day,” which officially marks the opening of NORD pools and other summer recreational activities.
“Thank you to the lifeguards, our young campers, parents and all residents for starting this summer off with a splash,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We’re excited to have kids back in fun and safe environments for the summer, keeping them engaged and productive. I am proud of our young people who have been inspired to step up and serve their communities by becoming certified lifeguards. I want to give special shoutout to the NORD staff for what you do every day, including joining our emergency preparedness plans, as well as your commitment to increasing recreational activities, job opportunities and other programs for our young people across the city.”
Mayor Cantrell and NORD CEO Larry Barabino, Jr. joined NORD summer campers for a dip in the pool. The event also served as a rollout of a robust offering of safe, recreational summer programming and events to residents, especially youth, across the city.
“I am excited to announce the opening of select outdoor pools for our patrons this summer to aid in keeping cool in the New Orleans heat, as well as contribute to the social and physical well-being during the summer months,” said Barabino. “And as we begin to onboard more lifeguards, we anticipate opening and operating more outdoor pools throughout the summer for increased coverage and programming across the city.”
“On behalf of the Commission, I’d like to say we’re providing something for everyone by continuing the partnerships we have in our communities and our city,” said Sanders. “We’re working very hard to create even more opportunities for youth and seniors. We’d like to recognize our teens for their accomplishments throughout the school year, and this is the time for them to relax and earn some money at the same time. Let’s continue to reward them and do the best we all can in our city to keep moving forward.”
The following 15 facilities will have pools open at the specified dates and times as NORD continues to hire, train and onboard new lifeguards. Depending on personnel, the following pools will operate on a rotating basis between Saturday, June 3 and Monday, Sept. 4 (Labor Day).
As of Monday, June 5 the following pools will operate Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., except the Treme Indoor Pool, which will only operate from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.:
- Gert Town Indoor Pool – 3411 Broadway St.
- Joe W. Brown Indoor Pool – 5601 Read Blvd. (Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
- Federal City Outdoor Pool – 2200 Constitution St. (Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 2.p.m.)
- Sanchez Indoor Pool – 1616 Fats Domino Ave.
- Treme Indoor Pool – 900 N. Villere St. (Open to public at 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
These seasonal pools will open on a rotating basis as lifeguards are onboarded starting Thursday, June 8 and will operate Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.:
- A.L. Davis Outdoor Pool – 2600 LaSalle St.
- Lyons Center Outdoor Pool – 624 Louisiana Ave.
- Pradat Outdoor Pool – 7200 Dreaux Ave.
- Rosenwald Outdoor Pool – 1120 S. Broad St.
- St. Bernard Outdoor Pool – 1500 Lafreniere St.
- Stallings St. Claude Outdoor Pool – 4300 St. Claude Ave.
- Stallings Gentilly Outdoor Pool – 2700 Lapeyrouse St.
- Whitney Young Outdoor Pool – 6500 Magazine St.
- Lemann Outdoor Pool – 4536 N. Prieur St.
- Sampson Outdoor Pool – 3211 Treasure St.
“Congratulations are in order for a successful school year for our youth,” said Villavaso. “Summer is here, and it is a time to have fun and relax but also a time to earn some money. NORD and OWD has opportunities to do both. This is a time for our youth to gain valuable employment experience that will assist with college applications and future jobs. Research shows that kids who work in summer programs learn critical skills like budget management, collaboration and customer service. We can never have enough businesses to help provide these vital opportunities that make a difference in our communities in numerous ways.”
“Thank you to Mayor Cantrell and NORD for continuing to put our youth first,” said Villamarin-Lupin. “Our office remains steadfast in our commitment to thoughtfully engage young people throughout the city so they can thrive and be happy. We have a responsibility to expand educational and recreational opportunities to connect our youth to all our available resources. We’re excited to join NORD, JOB 1 and all our other partners to help young people learn work readiness skills through our programs like Summer Success and Pathways. Summer is a great opportunity to keep people engaged, and the City is working hard to meet our people where they are by providing support to developmental programming for youth and young adults.”
“Thank you everybody – Madam Mayor, Mr. Barabino and Mr. Sanders, for making it possible for all our kids to get in the pool this summer,” said Councilmember King.
NORD is still recruiting lifeguards for the summer and year-round season who will staff pools and teach swimming, water safety instruction and aquatic programming at NORD pools. NORD’s goal is to open as many pools as possible on a full-time basis once more lifeguards have been onboarded. Currently, NORD has a total of 96 potential lifeguards that are in different phases of the process, including 41 that are fully certified and onboarded. Those interested should apply at nordc.org/lifeguards/.
NORD also offers a robust package of summer recreation opportunities for residents of all ages that include aquatics, athletics, cultural arts, fitness, outdoors programming and special events.
“At No Kid Hungry, we make sure kids have meals wherever they live, learn and play,” said Jackson. “We’re excited many of our kids will be in NORD camps this summer, getting free breakfast and lunch. I also want families to know about our text line. If you text FOOD, or COMIDA for Spanish-speaking families, to 304304 and put in your address, you will receive a list of summer sites where kids 18 and under can get a free meal.”
Please note that pool operating hours are subject to change. Please visit nordc.org/activities/aquatics/ for the most up-to-date schedule.
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