Swimming Pool Contractors Team Up to Surprise Indy Grandmother

Thanksgiving isn’t just about giving thanks—it’s also about giving back to the community and helping those in need. One Indianapolis grandmother was able to experience the meaning of the holiday firsthand, thanks to the generosity of several local swimming pool companies.

Kitty Smith is an Indy-area grandmother and great-grandmother of twenty-nine. Recently, at the tender age of 80, she decided it was finally time to purchase her dream home. One of the most important features of the home she settled on wasn’t a chef’s kitchen or a luxurious master suite—it was the inground swimming pool located out back.

Shortly after Kitty bought her new home, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Soon enough, that highly coveted swimming pool became the ideal refuge for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she grew to enjoy watching family members of all ages relax and spend time together in her backyard. In fact, if you ask Kitty, that swimming pool truly helped to bring everyone together.

Unfortunately, in February 2021, disaster struck, sending Kitty’s dreams quickly crashing down. She woke up one morning to discover that her pool had collapsed overnight, with the side walls becoming nothing more than a hole filled with shattered fiberglass and concrete. Understandably, Kitty was devastated.

The situation became more distressing when she was made aware of the potential repair costs. Materials and labor necessary to excavate the existing pool, dispose of the leftover materials, and install a new swimming pool were estimated to cost at least $80,000. Unfortunately, after spending her life savings on her dream home, this wasn’t a possibility for the new homeowner.

An insurance provider’s response made matters worse, despite the fact that Kitty had paid for a homeowner’s insurance policy that included coverage for the repair or replacement costs of a new pool. After assessing the damage and the cost of repairs, the insurance company was unwilling to pay even a dollar to have the swimming pool repaired or replaced. The situation was so dire that Ms. Smith reached out to local news station WTHR to help determine the factors that caused the pool’s collapse.

After hearing about this heartbreaking story, Indianapolis-area business owner Michael Shebek began organizing a large-scale project to have the Indy grandmother’s pool replaced. He gathered a team of several local swimming pools companies and contractors with the goal of restoring Kitty’s backyard to its former glory.

It’s especially heartwarming to note that, even though the companies involved are competitors, all jumped at the chance to donate their time, labor, and materials to help Kitty’s dream come true. Pools of Fun and multiple other local companies teamed up to help.

In total, the project is projected to cost around $90,000. In the end, however, Kitty won’t need to pay a cent of that cost. Upon learning of the project, she said that “There aren’t words big enough to thank everyone… I’m just so thankful.”

All told, this pool removal and restoration was one great-grandmother’s perfect Thanksgiving surprise, all thanks to the generosity of local Indianapolis businesses.