Rotary Raffle Helps Restore Boys & Girls Club Pool
e waves with its 2025 Cash Raffle, raising an impressive $65,700 to support youth programs and community initiatives across Joliet. This year’s featured project was a $40,000 grant awarded to the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet to help repair and rebuild the deteriorating exterior wall of its Olympic‑sized swimming pool.The Rotary Club of Joliet proudly announced that its 2025 Cash Raffle raised $65,700 to support vital community projects. The primary beneficiary this year was the Boys & Girls Club of Joliet, which received a $40,000 grant toward renovating the club’s swimming pool exterior wall—a critical improvement for a facility that served hundreds of children and teens.
A Lifeline for a Beloved Community Pool
Raffle chair Tracy Simons said the pool wall restoration had been urgently needed.
“The wall was currently boarded up, with deteriorating wood, glass panels and framing beyond repair,” Simons said at the time. “Renovation of the wall would enhance energy efficiency, natural lighting, and community aesthetics, while providing a strong barrier against vandalism and harsh weather—benefiting the 250 club members who used the pool.”
The renovation continued a long history of Rotary support for the Boys & Girls Club’s aquatic programs. Previous contributions included:
$25,000 in 2021 to help restore the pool for swim lessons
$14,664 in 2017 for staircase improvements
A new gym floor in 2010, funded by the Joliet Rotary
Building a Safe, Welcoming Space for Joliet Youth
Boys & Girls Club CEO and Executive Director Chantel Gamboa said she had been overwhelmed when she learned the club would receive this significant grant.
“Ensuring the building was warm and inviting was essential to our participants’ emotional health,” Gamboa said. “Some of our youth came from traumatic backgrounds, and we wanted to provide spaces that felt safe and supportive.”
Rotarian and Boys & Girls Club board member Mark Inserra said the renovation came at a critical time. The club had just begun its “Brick by Brick” capital improvement plan when structural inspections revealed the pool wall needed immediate attention.
In addition to the Rotary grant, a longtime supporter of the club also donated $50,000, bringing the project closer to the $130,000 total cost. Although significant progress was made, the club noted that additional support would still be needed.
The goal was to complete the wall before the onset of winter and finish the pool renovations by May in time for the Route 66 100‑Year Celebration.
A Pool With Purpose
The Boys & Girls Club of Joliet operated one of the area’s largest indoor community pools—a 12‑foot‑deep, Olympic‑sized facility added in 1968. In 2024, Rotarian and Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow and Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy each donated $10,000 to help operate and maintain the pool.
Glasgow often emphasized the importance of the pool in positive youth development.
“Having this outlet kept kids off the street and opened doors for their future,” Glasgow previously said.
Raffle Winners
The following participants won cash prizes in the 2025 raffle:
$10,000 Grand Prize: Linda Pierzechalski
$1,000 Winners: Stephanie Gray, Rod Rospolich, Scott Segobiano & team, Rhonda Tordai, Kathy Zydek
$500 Winners: Karen Purze, Damon Zdunich
Looking Back — and Ahead
In addition to the major grant, remaining raffle proceeds supported other local and international charities aligned with Rotary’s mission to improve lives and create a better world.
Nonprofits seeking support for 2026 are invited to apply before March 13, 2026.