McLaughlin

The statue is completed. The effort to honor the memory of John "Pump"McLaughlin is not.

A life-sized bronze statue of the longtime Butler County Family YMCA swim coach and aquatics director will be unveiled during a memorial dedication at 2 p.m. May 6 at the YMCA's Washington Street entrance.

McLaughlin died in March 2004 at 64. A committee was formed in August of that year to get a statue erected in his memory.

"He touched a lot of people's lives over a 40-year period, that's for sure,"said Butler County Family YMCA president and CEOLarry Garvin.

Garvin is one of 11 members of the committee that has raised $81,520 from 155 contributors thus far. Each committee member is a former swimmer taught by McLaughlin or has a child who was taught by him.

The statue has been paid for and is being shipped to Butler this week. More funding is needed to maintain the John "Pump"McLaughlin Endowment, a fund that will help pay YMCAfees for children of families who cannot afford to do so.

McLaughlin paid the YMCAfees for many kids who could not afford them.

"And he did so without fanfare, very quietly. With this statue, people will see the impact this man had on the mission of the YMCA," committee member Jack Shilling said. "When a guy teaches 50,000 people how to swim ... Pump was a people person who enjoyed helping people down life's path.

"He is the perfect image of the YMCA working with youth. That's what this statue is all about."

David Napora, co-chairman of the McLaughlin memorial committee, said the cost of the statue was covered within 90 days of the committee's formation by about 20 contributors.

"A number of people stepped up to the plate right away on this,"Napora said. "Contributions need to be ongoing so we can use the interest from the funds to keep the endowment going. Pump always gave back. Now we want to keep giving back for him."

Other committee members are Debbie Williams, John Chamberlain, Bob Cummings, John Gibson, Bob Leri, Gary Mato, David Todd and Norman Williams.

The statue features a likeness of McLaughlin sitting on a bench, his arm around a likeness of former YMCAswimmer and two-time Olympic medalist Eric Namesnik on one side and a likeness of Alice McLaughlin Boyle on the other.

Namesnik died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in January 2006. Boyle was the only McLaughlin family member to swim competitively for Pump. She went on to be a lifeguard and coach for a while as well.

"It's only fitting that Eric be part of this memorial, too, given his accomplishments in swimming and coaching" Napora said. "His memory will be honored forever because of this."

Namesnik's relatives and immediate family likely will be on hand for the dedication, along with McLaughlin Boyle.

The May 6 ceremony will include comments from family and committee members, the actual dedication of the statue, concluding with its unveiling.

"We're anticipating a crowd of 300 people, maybe more,"Garvin said. "If it's nice weather, the ceremony will be held outdoors. If it's bad weather, we'll do it inside our gym."

McLaughlin began teaching swimming at the YMCA in 1957 and coached the swim team there from 1959 through 2004. He died a day after receiving a lifetime achievement award at a YMCAstate swim meet at Penn State.

Nearly 450 people attended his funeral, which was held in the Butler County Family YMCAgymnasium.

"Twenty years from now, when no one around here is talking about Pump anymore, people are going to see that statue and think about what kind of person he must have been,"Shilling said. "That's what I'm most proud of."

Gifts and pledges to the McLaughlin Memorial Fund can sent to Butler County Family YMCA, Attention Pump"Memorial Fund, 339 N. Washington St., Butler, Pa., 16001-5261.