Local students refurbish YMCA lane lines

VW independent staff and submitted information

It began last October when Van Wert High School student Ian Rex started his senior project, which requires senior students to provide a minimum of 10 hours of service to the Van Wert community.

The project was assigned through the Van Wert High School English language department and is a requirement for graduation.

Rex chose to refurbish the swim lane line reels which are used by YMCA of Van Wert County’s aquatic programs, Van Wert High School Swim Team, and the Van Wert Marlins Swim Team.

He went well above the minimum 10 hours by providing more than 40 hours of service by cleaning, disassembling, repairing, sanding, painting, and applying edge molding to refurbishing the lane line reels.

Rex was assisted by Xavier Okuly who provided welding knowledge and experience through Vantage Career Center’s industrial mechanics program. Okuly assisted the project by installing the brackets and re-welding base plates on the support frame of one of the lane line reels.

Rex has been a swimmer on both the Marlins and Van Wert High School swim team for several years and channeled his passion for swimming and competing toward improving the YMCA’s swim equipment.

Information about this and other programs available at the Van Wert YMCA can be found by calling 419.238.0443 or visiting www.vwymca.org.

The YMCA of Van Wert County is partially funded by the Van Wert County Foundation and United Way.