Since the first feet slipped into the water at Forestbrooke Athletic Club when it opened in 1960, the pool has been a neighborhood rallying point. A hangout. A source of deep pride. A way of life.

This weekend, Forestbrooke's pool will celebrate 50 years of community support by throwing a daylong anniversary party on Saturday. The pool will be open to the public for free swimming from noon to 11 p.m. Activities will include a barbecue, marshmallow roasting and live entertainment. Dozens of "Forestbrooke Flying Fish" alumni will come back to compete in a swim meet against the current swim and dive team.

"Forestbrooke provides something we don't see a lot of in our culture these days, there's a lot of sense of community and members frequently get together and have potlucks," said organizing committee co-president Angie Smith, who is also an AnnArbor.com contributor.

"It provides a wonderful focal point for the neighborhood," said Vanessa Clarke, 39, a club member and board treasurer whose three children swim at Forestbrooke. "You go to the pool and you know almost everyone in there - (there is) much more personal involvement."

Forestbrooke Athletic Club is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The pool was built in 1959 and deeded to the Forestbrooke Athletic Club by the original neighborhood developer in 1960. The pool is licensed by the state and county and follows all public pool protocols. It is the oldest swim club in the city.

Earlier this year, the club was granted nonprofit 501(c)3 tax status by the government. A board of directors elected by the club's roughly 80 members oversees the pool and its operation. Smith is co-president along with Paula Gardner, who is the Business Director for AnnArbor.com.

Funding for the pool comes from membership dues — which are $425 a year for a family, less for new members, couples and individuals — and money from fundraisers.

Membership comes from Saline, Pittsfield Township and Ypsilanti in addition to Ann Arbor. The swim and dive teams are made up of kids up to the age of 17.

"The older kids often help the younger kids (at swim meets) and show them where to go and what to do," Clarke said.

Although Forestbrooke Athletic Club is primarily tasked with running the pool, especially now that it has its official nonprofit status, the club also plans activities for neighbors and works to foster a sense of community spirit in the Forestbrooke area, which covers roughly about 300 homes. The club publishes a year-round newsletter in the neighborhood and holds fundraisers, barbecues and events, such as a bowling night, throughout the year.

The pool's traditions run deep, too, from its Memorial Day bicycle parade announcing the opening of the pool to its annual Labor Day meeting and pool draining ritual.

Second and sometimes third generations of families use the pool. Chris Hamm, 49, of Ypsilanti, first joined Forestbrooke in the mid-1960s. He's in charge of recruiting Forestbrooke alumni from that time period to come back for this weekend's celebration.

He hopes to see about 50 former friends and neighbors from his era attend the pool's party. Clarke said at least 35 different races will be held during the swim meet with people of all ages.

"I can't wait to see a lot of these people," Hamm said. "We were really close-knit back then."

AnnArbor.com Intern Jenny Serwach contributed to this story. Got neighborhood news to share? E-mail community@annarbor.com.