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An anonymous donor has gone to the river’s edge and thrown the Kansas City Storm a lifeline. At least for the short term, the financially embattled swim team won’t go under.
In my column last week, I explained that money to pay the coach’s salary was cut from the city’s budget, threatening the existence of the Storm, an urban swim team.
After word circulated last week that the team might go under, someone called the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department and agreed to donate the entire cost to continue the program for the rest of the fiscal year.
The contributor agreed to make the donation on the condition that his or her identity remains anonymous and that the amount remains undisclosed. Smaller donations and pledges to support the team also have trickled in.
Steve Lampone, deputy director of the parks department, said the large gift is in the range of several thousand dollars.
“It will allow us to continue the program at least until the end of the fiscal year,” Lampone said. “With the budget conversations as they are right now, we’re not making a lot of decisions. But we know that with this contribution that we will be able to continue the program through April 30.
“We don’t know what we’re going to budget for various programs yet. But we’ll certainly do all we can to continue the program. The private donations coming in are very much appreciated. They will go a long way.”
Leonard Horne, the Kansas City Storm’s coach, broke the news about the donation at a team meeting Wednesday that included parents.
“First of all, I’d like to thank those individuals who came forward and who understand what it is we’re doing,” Horne said afterward. “The number of calls of support from people who’ve identified their concern was tremendous. It’s a real good feeling to know that when you’re doing things and you run into obstacles that there are those out there who are willing to help.”
While a short-term solution has been found, the team must start considering how it can be funded for future swim seasons. Keeping the program afloat ultimately will come down to support from the community.
“We just continue to hope that those that believe in us will continue to keep us in their thoughts and, if they can and when they can, will come forward to help,” Horne said.
If a medal count is the measure of how successful a swim team is, then there’s no doubt the Kansas City Storm competes on a high level.
At the recent Missouri Valley Division 2 short-course swim championships, Danielle Randle, 13, won five medals; Sierra Matthews, 9, won seven medals; Ben Lemus, 11, won three; Syria Mason, 15, won two; and David Turner, 15, received one. Derrion Thomas, 17, received three medals at the Division 2 short-course championship and one at the Division 1 short-course swim championship.
Mary Porter’s son LeMari, who turns 14 today and swims on the team, is overjoyed at the outpouring of good will.
“Thank God that the children will be able to continue to swim,” Porter said. “Thanks goes to the people that provided them with the means to swim.”
Here’s why what these young people are doing is important.
We can dance around the subject all we want. But for decades there’s been a myth that blacks don’t enjoy or do well in competitive swimming. But every swim meet the Kansas City Storm competes in and every medal it picks up not only dispels that stereotype, it knocks those fallacies out of the water.
And it’s the kind of activity that I think is worthy of the public’s support.
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