We, the undersigned residents, are in support to the reinstatement of the Yost Penguin community swim team program at Yost Park Pool.

Yost Penguins is a welcoming, inclusive, and affordable swim team that serves a broad range of swimmers. Yost Penguins is a place where inclusion is practiced daily and kids get to have fun while moving and strengthening their bodies and their swim skills.

The positive impacts include, but are not limited to:

• The Yost Penguins swim team provides physical and mental health – as well as important water safety benefits to our youth.
• The Yost Penguins swim team program provides an equitable opportunity for families of all economic backgrounds to participate in a recreational activity that is hosted at a city-owned facility.
• Yost Penguins has played an important role as a community hub – bringing together hundreds of Edmonds families and kids each summer, every year. In our current era we need to be looking for more of these opportunities to bring together our community.

We understand the need to postpone Yost Pool swim activities in 2020 due to the pandemic. However, the decision to eliminate the community swim team this year was particularly disappointing, because it coincided with agreements to allow a competitive and much more exclusive swim program use of the pool. These decisions seem antithetical to the Y's mission and the duties of the City of Edmonds to serve its citizens.

"We place service above self, with an unwavering and unbiased commitment to public safety, improving the quality of life for our community." Mission/Vision - City of Edmonds, WA (edmondswa.gov)

“The Y is Where Community Thrives

At the YMCA of Greater Seattle, we’re building a community where all people, especially the young, are encouraged to develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind, and body… We share a commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, improving health and well-being, giving back, and supporting our neighbors.” Greater Seattle YMCA Website

We ask the city and YMCA to serve its citizens and members by working together to find a creative solution that allows for the continuation of Yost Penguins program in 2021 and in the future.

Edmonds Yost Penguin Families & Parents