Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley Sun
Shannon Baker raised about $2,000 for the Sonoma Community Swim Center project by holding a car wash and a 12-hour walking relay.
There has been a hole in the Sonoma community ever since the high school pool, one of the few public access pools in the valley, was removed due to substandard conditions. Shannon Baker, a high school, senior, is helping rectify this.
Baker, in searching for an idea for a senior project, decided to help the supporters of the Sonoma Community Swim Center project, which intends to build the center on the SVHS campus.
Although she has always been interested in sports, swimming was never at the top of her list.
“I saw that there was no pool anymore, and that people were really missing it. There was just a big hole left over. I felt that since the track had already been resurfaced the year before, they didn’t actually need any more money, so I decided to do this.”
She raised about $2,000 for the project by holding a car wash and a 12-hour walking relay around the high school track. She sent out several press releases, which netted her many donations by mail, ranging from $20 to $300.
Raising money proved to be more difficult than it first looked. After being referred to her project mentor Cindy Titchenal by a member of the Boosters club, Baker began to realize the difficulties involved in running such an event.
“My hat goes off to her,” said Titchenal. “I’m amazed that she managed to accomplish all of this. A lot of times when we’re young, we don’t realize the obstacles that society is going to have to face. It was a very ambitious project, but once she got into this, she just kept going, hammering away at it.”
The relay required a myriad of paperwork and equipment, ranging from the complexity of liability insurance and the need for such basics as portable toilets. Baker, by dint of perseverance, managed to jump through all the hoops.
She did it all in the name of student athletics, even focusing her required senior project research paper on student athletes. “I think it helps the students focus. I think when you’re more active with your body, your mind works better.”
The project has also helped her establish some goals for her own life. “Lately, I’ve been thinking about going into marketing and PR, so this is a good stepping stone for me. Also, it’s a good piece of reflection for me.”
Baker’s project raised money for the Sonoma Community Swim Center, which is in the process of being approved by the city. It would feature an ecologically friendly swimming and tennis center, incorporating the current tennis courts, and contain three separate pools: a competition-sized pool and two recreational centers for families.
