How many people can claim that they’ve donated whole community swimming pools? Mark Reed, for one.
The president of Memphis Pool in Memphis, Tenn., constructed two pools and a splash pad, free of charge. One of those projects was of significant, personal importance.
French Camp Academy is a faith-based school for young people, many from troubled backgrounds. Located two hours south of Memphis, in French Camp, Miss., the school accommodates up to 170 boarding students.
Reed was on the road and just happened to stop in one day to see how much the school has changed over the years. He got to talking with some school officials and learned they were planning to build a pool, a much-needed amenity where students could blow off steam during the muggy Mississippi summer. “Water facilities can be kind of a burden in those places — they have better things to spend their money on so we just kind of adopted them,” says Reed, a former French Camp Academy student.
Reed built a 2,500 square-foot pool with a shallow play area, diving board and slide at no cost to the school. He continues to support the facility with free maintenance chemicals. He also built a similar project for the academy’s sister school in Port Gibson, Miss.
He’s happy to give back to an institution that had a positive influence on him.
“They treat the kids with respect and love and give them responsibilities,” Reed says. “They are building good adults and giving them stability they don’t have at home.”
If you go to the Children’s Museum of Memphis, you’ll be greeted by the second project built and donated by Memphis Pools. The colorful splash park spans 7,700 square feet and features more than 40 sprayers.
When the museum ran into a financial roadblock and it became apparent that it couldn’t afford to pay for the project, Reed forgave the debt. But at least he got some advertising out of it: Pop-up tents bear the company’s name and logo.
Children know whom they can thank when they’re soaking under sprayers during a Tennessee heatwave.
