Our Founding Vision

In 1962, our very first visionary founding members established the recreation district. Prior to the Soledad-Mission Recreation District’s formation, recreation services for the community were provided through the school district. Recognizing the need for expansion as the community grew, the founding board members envisioned establishing a district that would provide quality recreation programming, inclusive of swimming. These visionary leaders included Ed Laughton, Alfred Bassetti, Al DeCarli, Frank Ledesma and John Domigues. Their dream came to fruition and in 1974, the first and only indoor pool in the Salinas Valley was built. This new pool provided the residents of Soledad and surrounding communities with the opportunity to access a covered swimming pool to protect from the notorious valley winds.

Sixty years later, the district continues to focus on quality services and to this day is the only covered swimming pool in the Salinas Valley.  Over these six decades, the district has withstood many challenges yet despite them, the focus continues to be centered in providing quality service to children, youth, adults, and families of our community. Through this vision, the Soledad-Mission Recreation District, now known as “The Rec”, is making a strong investment in the wellbeing of the current and future residents of our community. We recognize that quality and affordable recreation opportunities go hand in hand with obtaining community wellness. The Rec is consistently striving to provide all people with an equitable opportunity to access quality recreation to optimize their wellness.