Ronnie Polaneczky: Support pours in for campers kicked out of suburban pool

YESTERDAY, for the first time since things fell apart for her campers at the Valley swim club, Alethea Wright's cries were joyful ones.

"You're kidding me! I can't believe this!" she tearfully repeated, as I told her of the many Daily News readers who had responded with offers of help and expressions of support after learning how the children at her Creative Steps Day Camp had been kicked out of the Huntingdon Valley club, after just one day of recreation.

Wright's story went viral yesterday. The major networks, Canadian Broadcasting and many bloggers and Twitterers weighed in on how wrong it was that Wright's minority campers were denied access to Valley Club because, Wright alleged, of their race.

In Indianapolis, Olympic swimmer and 2008 Gold Medalist Cullen Jones broke training for the U.S. Nationals freestyle finals to send love to Wright's campers. As one of the country's few black swimmers, he was disturbed by Wright's allegation of discrimination.

"Learning to swim and understanding the importance of being safe in and around the water are life-saving skills that no one should be denied," e-mailed Jones, who wants to meet with Wright and her kids.

In Los Angeles, filmmaker Kimberly Browning called on members of a national film-making community, "HollywoodShorts," to devise ways to help Wright beef up the arts component of her summer camp.

"We have filmmakers in Philly who will help her campers learn to make movies," she said. "Please have her call us."

North Jersey Web designer Winston Jordan tried to contact Wright to offer support but discovered her camp has no Web site. He wants to build her one.

"Pro bono," he stressed.

Locally, PR maven Sarah Doheny, owner of Your Unfinished Business, snagged commitments from at least five of the chefs she reps to teach cooking to Wright's campers.

"I can get a dozen chefs," she said. "Just give me a number."

And, lest we forget the reason this story come about in the first place, several Good Samaritans have leapt at the chance to find Wright's kids a new pool.

Peggy Myers, development director for the Abington Police Athletic League, has offered to help Wright with the logistics and expense of getting her campers back in the pool. So has Ed McBride, external relations VP at Peco and former president of the Variety Club, whose verdant Montgomery County facility has a pool and playground.

"For the [Valley] club to cut off the kids was wrong," said McBride. "The fact that the situation had racial overtones, no kid should be subjected to that."

The kindnesses have overwhelmed Wright.

"So much goodness is coming out of an awful situation." she said. "This is wonderful."

As for that situation, Valley Club was so overrun with news media yesterday, the club closed down. Its Web site also went dead, with the exception of a single statement reiterating that "the recent allegations of racism . . . are completely untrue."

Some Valley members who contacted me were frustrated that their president, John Duesler, whom they described as "a good guy," was so bumbling in his statements regarding the allegations. (NBC-TV10 had reported that Duesler said the campers changed "the complexion" of the club).

"He used all the wrong words," sighed one mom, who protested the campers' presence only because their numbers crowded the club.

"The board invited campers without consulting members first," said the woman, who asked that her name not be used. "The problem was between the members and the board, not the members and the campers, to be honest."

At least one other local camp, Storybook Children's Center, was also disinvited from the club, the center's director, Kelly Maguire, told me yesterday. She said that Duesler said the club had underestimated the impact campers would make.

But another member, Walt (who asked me to withhold his last name), is adamant that the pool's board caved to racial tensions that he himself clearly observed when Wright brought her campers to Valley Club for their one and only visit.

"It was obvious to me what was going on," he said.

So what happens from here?

The local Anti-Defamation League wants to investigate the matter.

U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz says that the club's action "demands further explanation and clarification."

And U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter has written Duesler suggesting that he invite Wright's group back to the pool, though "whether they accept is up to them."

For Wright, that's something to ponder another day. For now, she's thrilled that so many people have reached out to her kids.

"These are my babies," she said. "I love them with all my heart." *

E-mail polaner@phillynews.com or call 215-854-2217. For recent columns:

http://go.philly.com/polaneczky. Read Ronnie's blog at http://go.philly.com/ronnieblog.