Barnes Park Aquatics Center Community Celebration a Great Success
Monterey Park residents recently came together for a powerful and uplifting Barnes Park Aquatics Center Community Awards & Recognition Celebration at Barnes Park Amphitheater. Families, students, swimmers, volunteers, civic leaders, and coaches united to celebrate community pride and growing momentum for a new aquatic center.
Hosted by SGV Power Up Beacon, the event honored the swimmers, volunteers, and supporters who helped make the Oct. 5, 2025 swim campaign such a success.
A special thank you to the student leadership team of Mark Keppel High School Alliance for their outstanding partnership and support.
Highlights included an inspiring appearance by John Naber, 4-time Olympic gold medalist, who encouraged youth to believe in themselves and pursue excellence. The program also recognized respected Coach Ish Perez, whose teams have earned 90+ championships, and Deliang Li, Head Coach of Arrow Dive Club (ranked 2nd in the U.S.), whose mentorship has positively impacted many young athletes.
City leadership was proudly represented with appreciation extended to Elizabeth Yang, remarks from Henry Lo, and emcee support from Pam Rasmussen.
The celebration also honored Barnes Park Pool’s proud legacy. Opened in 1949, it served generations of residents and welcomed Olympic athletes during the 1984 Games before closing after summer 2021.
Most importantly, significant funding progress was shared. A major highlight is the $6 million Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant application, supported by a proposed $3 million City match, demonstrating the scale of outside funding opportunities now in play. Combined with additional grants, commitments, and funding pathways, approximately $10.5 million has now been identified or awarded toward the estimated $24 million project cost.
This effort is guided by the volunteer Board of SGV Power Up Beacon, including Margaret Leung (Chair), Robert Ogawa-Monroe (Vice Chair), Edlyn Takahashi (Secretary), Hollie Luong (Treasurer), Alex Ly (Auditor), Ish Perez (Executive Director), and Deliang Li (Executive Director), working alongside community advisors and partners.
This momentum shows that real progress is possible when residents work together. Thank you to everyone who continues to support this effort for Monterey Park’s youth, families, seniors, and future champions.
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