Become a DRRA Member
DRRA opened on August 3, 1958 and has grown to a 650 family non-profit membership association. The main pool and baby pool were refurbished in 2014. The main pool is 600,000 square feet in a “L” shape configuration with three diving boards. There is also a baby pool for children 5 and under, a bathhouse and snack bar. Donaldson Run is located in the Donaldson Run watershed adjacent to Marcey Park and Potomac Overlook Regional Park. The pool is open from Mid May to late September.
Donaldson Run offers several instructional and exercise programs for the benefit of its members throughout the summer:
- swimming lessons
- early-bird and evening lap swimming
- water aerobics and amphibious bootcamp
- competitive diving and swimming in the Northern Virginia Swimming League
Waiting List
The DRRA by-laws limit the number of voting members to 650 families. Eligible families must join the waiting list by submitting an application and $50 non-refundable fee. Applications are processed in the order they are received. Over the past five years, the turnover has averaged 40 families per year. The waiting period for full voting membership is approximately 7 to 9 years; however, there are provisional membership categories that allow you to use the pool while you remain on the wait list.
Membership Categories
There are two special membership categories designed to allow applicants on the wait list to use the pool with restricted privileges.
- Full Summer Membership— In order to accommodate as many families as possible on the wait list, the Board of Directors may grant summer use privileges for a year to members at the top of the wait list. Full Summer membership entitles the applicant and his/her family to use DRRA facilities during a summer season in the same manner and under the same rules applying to members, except that no membership rights of any kind are conferred by the granting of Full Summer membership. At the election of the Board, approximately 145-150 families are invited to swim for the entire summer as Full Summer members. The waiting period for Full Summer membership is approximately 4 to 5 years. If you reject an offer to swim as a Full Summer member you must pay a holding or inactive fee if you don’t want to be dropped from the waitlist.
- August/September Membership— Beginning on August 1st through the end of the season entitles the applicant and his/her family to the same benefits and restrictions as Full Summer membership. If you refuse the invitation for an August/September membership to swim for a season, your slot on the wait list is not affected and you will be invited to swim the next year if possible.
Membership Cost
The full (voting) membership initiation fees are $2,800 payable when notified by the Membership Coordinator that Board of Directors has approved your application. The initiation fee consists of an initial capital contribution ($2,800) and processing fee ($200). The capital contribution is refundable if you resign from the Association.
Each year every membership of our 650 members pays a membership fee assessed according of fixed costs of owning the pool. This fee is irrelevant to the summer opening of the pool. Currently the membership fee is $270. A summer usage fee for using the pool during the swim season is based on family size.
For example during the 2015 season:
- The Active member dues for a family of 4 are $755 which includes the $500 usage membership fee and a $255 summer usage fee for the remaining 3 people.
- The Full Summer membership dues for a family of 4 are $955.
- The August/Sept membership dues for a family of 4 to swim during August and September is $480
If you refuse the invitation to become a voting member when you reach the top of the waitlist, you will forfeit your place on the wait list and must reapply. There are no special privileges for applicants reapplying.
