BOZEMAN — Where Eagle Mount once had a pool, now, a jumble of construction equipment sits. But soon, it will be reopened as part of $8 million in renovations.
“To me, it’s a community need. It fills a void in the community,” said Bruce Anderson, one of more than 750 volunteers at Eagle Mount.
WATCH: Eagle Mount is transforming its Bozeman campus with an $8M renovation
A retired military veteran, Anderson moved back to Bozeman looking for an organization worth volunteering for.
“Eagle Mount supports children, young people with disabilities, and people affected by cancer. How can that be bad? So, I started volunteering,” he said.
Eagle Mount is a nonprofit that provides recreational opportunities for children and adults with disabilities, as well as young people with cancer. It serves about 750 people annually.
“One of our core beliefs is that if I can do it as an able-bodied person, anyone with a disability should be able to do the same thing,” Anderson said.
Before volunteering, Anderson served as Eagle Mount’s director of programs. He described some of the activities the organization has offered for more than 40 years.
“The big one right now is skiing — usually we look for 450 to 500 volunteers to run the program. We have a horsemanship program, arts and horticulture,” he said.
The organization also offers aquatics, cycling, and other programs. About a year ago, Eagle Mount had to close its pool due to a leak in the roof. That closure led to an unexpected opportunity.
“We are in the middle of an $8 million campaign, and we’ve raised about $7.5 million thanks to a number of very generous donors,” said Heather Thomas, Eagle Mount’s director of development.
Thomas explained that the campaign consists of three pillars: aquatic safety, campus expansion, and critical campus care projects to make the campus more accessible.
As part of the expansion, Eagle Mount will acquire 19.05 additional acres of land, bringing its campus to around 59 acres.
“We are a green space in the middle of the development around us. Once we’re on the other side of the campaign, we will dream about what the new acres could look like,” Thomas said.
Renovations are expected to be completed this summer, including reopening the pool. For Aquatics Director Maggie Lowry, the moment can’t come soon enough.
“I am so excited to welcome back our aquatics community. I know everybody’s excited. I have individuals waiting just to come back to this pool,” Lowry said.
The facility houses Bozeman’s only heated indoor saltwater pool.
When asked about his hopes for Eagle Mount’s future, Anderson kept his answer simple.
“To see this used every day of the week, every day of the year,” he said.
If you want to donate or learn more about Eagle Mount's programs, visit this link: https://eaglemount.org
