The Ability360 Sports & Fitness Center Aquatic Center Announces Grand Opening for Renovated Adaptive Pools, Today

The Ability360 Sports & Fitness Center Aquatic Center's three fully renovated adaptive pools will officially reopen at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, completing a 40-day remodeling funded by a $100,000 Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Award.

Among the guests expected at the 2-hour celebration are Arizona Diamondbacks alum and Special Assistant to the President J.J. Putz, Baxter and Bobby Freeman, the D-backs' official organist.

The first 200 people in attendance will receive Arizona Diamondbacks' pool and goody bags. Refreshments, including a hot dog vendor and snow cone truck, will be available and children and families will be able to participate in celebratory games.

"It's been incredibly exciting to watch the progress of the remodeling and we're even more excited about reopening the pools to the community," said Ability360 Sports & Fitness Center Vice President and General Manager Gus LaZear. "We are deeply grateful to the Arizona Diamondbacks for making this possible."

Renovation of the Lap Pool, Therapy Pool and Spa began Dec. 2. The pools are used by disabled and able-bodied individuals and are supervised by certified and trained Ability360 staff members.

The Lap Pool features an elevator lift, hydraulic lift and transfer station for entry. Pool depth ranges from 4 feet 6 inches to 10 feet with the deep end suitable for scuba diving. The pool is heated between 80 and 84 degrees.

The Therapy Pool also features elevator and hydraulic lifts and transfer access and is heated between 88 and 92 degrees. During the renovation, the pool's depth was leveled to an even 4 feet.

The Spa, with hydraulic lift and transfer access, is 3-feet deep and is heated to a maximum of 102 degrees.

Complete information about the pools, including pool rules and safety, can be found at www.ability360.org/sports/aquatics.

ABOUT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS FOUNDATION: Established in 1997, the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation focuses its efforts on three main areas of need: homelessness, indigent healthcare, and children's programs of all types, including education and youth baseball field development. Through fundraising activities, the organization and the team's charitable arm has raised and donated more than $49 million to the Arizona community. The Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Awards is part of the organization's overall charitable efforts and has awarded 63 grants totaling more than $5 million since the program was founded in 2002.

ABOUT ABILITY360: Ability360, formerly Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL), continues a 35-year tradition of empowering programs for people with all disabilities. Ability360 offers and promotes programs to empower people with disabilities to take personal responsibility so that they may achieve or continue independent lifestyles within the community. The independent living philosophy states that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights, options, and control over choices in their own lives as do people without disabilities. Ability360 is located at 5025 E. Washington St. Ste. 200, Phoenix, AZ 85034, www.ability360.org, 602-256-2245.

ABOUT THE ABILITY360 SPORTS & FITNESS CENTER: The Ability360 Sports and Fitness Center is a 45,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility located in Phoenix, Arizona. Owned and operated by Ability360, the Sports & Fitness Center offers a wide variety of amenities to help you achieve your health and fitness goals including a fitness center with wheelchair accessible weight machines, an aquatic area equipped with lifts and elevators, accessible locker rooms, and more.