Delta follows through with $10,000 promise

Delta Airlines gave the Juneau Community Foundation $10,000 for the Augustus Brown Swimming Pool last night. The check presentation coincided with the arrival of Delta’s first flight from Seattle to Juneau.

Delta’s Seattle Vice President Mike Medeiros pledged the amount during a CBJ assembly meeting in April, causing the packed city hall chambers to erupt in cheers. At the time, city manager Kim Kiefer had proposed temporarily closing the downtown pool to save the city money during a tight budget year.

Medeiros says the donation announcement was not planned. His purpose for being at the meeting that night was to introduce himself to the assembly. He had no idea city hall would be packed with pool supporters.

“As I got up and addressed the crowd I thought, ‘You know, this is important for us to demonstrate as a company that we want to be more than an airline that serves Juneau, we want to be a community partner.’ And I thought on the spot that this is a great way to step up and show that we can help contribute to something good in the community of Juneau,” Medeiros says.

The assembly passed the budget earlier this month and decided against closing the downtown pool. Medeiros says he’s communicating with Juneau’s Parks and Recreation Department to make sure the money is spent appropriately.

“The intent was that it would go to something related to the pool and I think that as I talk with that department that’s where our hope is that it will go, but we will count on the Parks and Recreation area to make the best use out of it,” he said.

Juneau Community Foundation Director Amy Skilbred says the money will go to its Aquatics Fund, and the Juneau Parks & Recreation Aquatics Facilities Advisory Board will make recommendations for its use.

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