"It's all about giving back," says Bill Brady, owner of Cobra Pools & Spas in Perth, Ontario, about the group of pool and spa dealers from across Canada that installed a donated Hydropool swim spa in the backyard of two married Canadian soldiers injured in the line of duty.
"I've been working on getting this going for about three years," says Brady. "It all started in the U.S. Every two years, San Juan donates a swimming pool to a disabled vet to use for therapeutic reasons, and we're a San Juan dealer, so my son and I helped install one in 2007, and that's where I got the idea.
"San Juan offered to supply a pool for this project, but because of the climate here, we decided to get a swim spa so they could more easily use it for therapy throughout the year. We approached Hydropool, and they liked the idea and agreed to help out.
"I contacted nine other retailers," continues Brady, "and all nine said, 'Absolutely.' They didn't ask how much it was going to cost them or how long they'd be away from their own businesses. All they wanted to know was: 'How soon do we book our flights?'
"So we and the other nine retailers as well as Hydropool paid for the swim spa, and then behind the scenes I contacted and got the help from hundreds of volunteers. We had crane operators, water haulers, electricians, a wiring company supplying the wire, and a bus company supplying all our bussing for three days. All the local service groups supplied us with meals, and our chemical supplier, Backyard Brands, donated $1,000 worth of chemicals for the year and gave a cash donation to help with meals and accommodations. All these people took time away from their businesses and the whole project was just fantastic."
The project came to completion on April 27 when Brady and his army of volunteers and retailers installed the swim spa at the home of Master Corporal Will Wells in Deep River, Ontario, near the Canadian Forces Base in Petawawa. Wells, 36, was wounded while serving in Afghanistan, and his wife, Suzy, 39, a corporal in the forces, had to have a full knee replacement. "They can both really be assisted by the swim spa," says Brady. "This project is going to change their lives immensely."
Brady intends to donate and install a swim spa for an injured Canadian vet annually. He says, "It has been a really gratifying and worthwhile project, and everybody who has been involved in it just can't believe how exciting it was to do it."
