Saturday, March 25, 2017

Woodside church needs mucho money to keep pool going

From Sunnyside Post:

The St. Sebastian’s Parish Center in Woodside looking to raise $1 million in donations to help keep it afloat.

The Parish Center, which provides athletic facilities and programming to the community at 39-60 57th Street, began an online crowdfunding campaign yesterday with a goal of $1 million to help repair its facility. The online fundraiser had reached nearly $8,000 by Friday afternoon.

“Our beloved St. Sebastian Parish Center is in dire need of financial assistance. The Parish Center relies heavily on memberships as a source of revenue. With traditional health clubs popping up all around our building the competition is fierce,” reads a statement on the fundraising page. “If we don’t take action soon we are in jeopardy of losing the Parish Center.”

The Parish Center has been operating at a loss for years, explains the fundraising website, running a deficit of $294,000 in 2015. There is a desperate need to make repairs to the swimming pool infrastructure to avoid losing the ability to use the pool, according to the website.

To donate visit https://www.youcaring.com/stsebastianparishcenter-772620 or send a check to:

St. Sebastian Parish Center
c/o Harry Connor
39-60 57th Street
Woodside, NY 11377


(I have confirmed that pool membership is open to anyone, not just parishioners.)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why would a church need a pool to begin with? Is this a place of worship or a YMCA?

georgetheatheist said...

They don't ADVERTISE its presence. (Nor the spacious gym which could be used for dances.)

As the old saw goes: "A business without a sign is a sign of no business."

Anonymous said...

Ahh, yes, georgetheatheist, 'The Faith Business.' Let them tap the Vatican and Pope Francis for money, then. After all, Vatican City is one of the greatest crime ring operations of them all, where even the Mafia are taking notes!

JQ LLC said...

(Nor the spacious gym which could be used for dances.)

I haven't been to a cotillion, sock hop or a box social in a while

so many wasted years, because I was BORN TO HAND JIVE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDvlF3CmC80

Queens Crapper said...

Just about every Catholic church has a recreation center. Some are more elaborate and others are just a school gym.

Anonymous said...

Whether or not every church has a recreation center, it's not at all why they receive tax exempt status for their property. The fact that health clubs can siphon off revenue is testament to their better services. Pretty presumptuous to ask for donations directly for their revenue arm. Maybe they should sell off that space to a health club that can manage it better and focus on worship instead of business before invoking one of the 7 cardinal virtues.

georgetheatheist said...

Jewish temples have rec centers as well. Some of the dances held there are smokin'. I know. I attend. The Catholics ought to get with that program.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a worthy cause. I think the kids of the neighborhood are better off hanging around the pool at the church's recreational​ center than learning about recreational drugs at the local playground.

JQ LLC said...

https://youtu.be/WTctqB-co4k?t=43