Dozens of islanders beat the heat on Sunday and helped the Vashon Park District break in the pool by participating in the May Day Splash Down.

“We had a really great crowd for the lap swim and kids have been coming and going all afternoon,” Aquatics Director Scott Bonney said Sunday. “This event is helpful for us because we can make sure everything is working before the summer.”

With swimming season fast approaching, the Vashon Park District is expecting a final report from Tacoma-based Orb Architects, aquatic specialists who recently evaluated the Vashon Pool and all of its systems. That report, to be delivered this month, will include recommendations regarding what must be repaired or replaced both now and in the future, and will assist the park district in planning for the pool’s future.

Park district Executive Director Elaine Ott has begun looking at grants to help fund some of the work that will be needed at the facility, which was built in the 1970s. The Vashon Seals swim team is partnering with the district and has committed to raising nearly $10,000 as part of necessary matching funds for one King County grant.

The park district opened the pool to the Seals during one cold week in February, and the Seals’ board president Karin Choo said the team enjoyed and benefitted from practicing in the competition-sized pool despite the chilly temperatures. She stressed the club is grateful for its good relationship with the Vashon Athletic Club — where it trains outside of the summer months — but like many swim enthusiasts on Vashon, Choo said members of the club would like to see the Vashon Pool made accessible to the community year round in the near future.