Chuck Butler Memorial Aquatics Endowment Supports Local Water Polo
In a boost to aquatic sports for youth in Ashland, the Chuck Butler Memorial Aquatics Endowment, administered by ACHF, has awarded $10,000 to the Ashland Water Polo club to develop what organizers call a “pipeline building” initiative. The grant aims to expand water polo opportunities for youth in Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix while removing financial barriers to participation.
The endowment, established by Jeff and Alexi McCullough through a gift of appreciated stock to the foundation, supports direct services, new program development, and facilities that make water sports and activities accessible to local youth.
The grant will fund four main elements aimed at growing participation in water polo and developing coaching talent: a weeklong 20-hour summer camp this June, coaching and mentoring opportunities for high school students as camp counselors, purchasing new water polo cages, and offering scholarships and affordable participation fees for kids and their families.
A portion of the funding will also employ current high school players as assistant instructors at the summer camp, giving them coaching and leadership experience while strengthening their commitment to the program.
As a club sport, Ashland Water Polo receives no financial support from the school district. The club relies on fundraising and a $400 fee per season from each team member to cover travel expenses, equipment, and approximately $15,000 in annual pool rental costs. Teams travel throughout Oregon and into California to compete, often making overnight trips for matches and tournaments.
“This past fall, we barely had enough high school boys to play,” Gramley noted. “Participation levels are down, and we want to bring them back up.”
Jeff McCullough, who serves as ACHF board president, envisions a thriving aquatics community with accessible programming from first-time swimmers through high school swim teams and water polo.
“It’s so important for kids to build lifelong water safety skills, not to mention the health benefits water sports provide,” McCullough said. “We want to remove any financial or access barriers families may face so that every child who wants to learn how to swim and participate in aquatic activities can do so.”
For water polo specifically, Gramley hopes to see the program grow beyond Ashland’s borders in the coming years.
“We’d like to get a broader group of polo players in the valley, attracting kids in Medford, Talent, and Phoenix,” he said. “Long-term, we’d like Ashland not to be the only team in the Rogue Valley. There are kids whose parents never see them play because games are so far away.”
Both Gramley and McCullough emphasized the community-building aspects of a strong aquatics program.
“It’s about connection,” Gramley said. “What I love is their phones are in the locker room, they’re goofing around with each other and challenging each other. The connection gets built in ways that they might not get in other places.”
To find out more about the club, visit AshlandWaterPolo.org.
