What did Mr. Rosen mean to the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center (RAFC)?

“Everything.”

What did the RAFC mean to Mr. Rosen?

“Everything.”

What have you learned from Mr. Rosen?

“Everything.”

It’s not that Michael Miller, Executive Director of the RAFC, is a man of few words; it’s just that few words encompass the impact a person like Harris Rosen has on the world around him.

Mr. Rosen was a remarkable hotelier and businessman who was also known throughout the community as a compassionate philanthropist. He has helped hundreds of students go to college, provided safe learning environments for children in some of Orlando’s most underprivileged areas, and supported advancements in brain cancer research, among many other philanthropic efforts.

One of the organizations closest to Mr. Rosen’s heart was the RAFC, a facility he rescued from closure not once, but twice in its 40 years in the community.

Many who knew Mr. Rosen were well aware of his passion for fitness and swimming. He was a daily visitor of the RAFC, where he would swim over 1.25 miles every morning in lane two.

Mr. Rosen’s passing on November 25, 2024, has left an emptiness at the RAFC, and not just in the pool.

To understand the impact Mr. Rosen had on the RAFC (and vice versa), we must dive into pivotal moments of the past.

Mr. Rosen Saves the Aquatic Center

In 1983, a man known as Wally Justus had a dream of building a private hotel and pool complex on International Drive. After a decade of serving the community as a popular hub for aquatics and athletics, the Justus Center was shut and padlocked by the mortgage holder due to financial issues.

Harris Rosen walked up to the doors shortly after its closing in 1992 and found a group of Special Olympians at the entrance who were surprised to find the chains around the door. One of the swimmers turned to their mother and asked, “Was it something I did wrong?”

Mr. Rosen, the fiercely passionate philanthropist and avid swimmer he was, knew something needed to be done. He reached out to celebrities, politicians, and big names in Special Olympics activism to find a way to keep the doors of the aquatic center open for the Central Florida families and athletes who had come to rely upon the facility.

The bank ultimately decided to gift the aquatic center to the YMCA of Central Florida, and it became the Central Florida YMCA Aquatic Center.

The YMCA Era

An ambitious young Midwesterner came to Orlando after being offered the position of Aquatics Director at what was then the Central Florida YMCA Aquatic Center.

His name was Michael Miller.

Miller recalls his first encounter with Mr. Rosen while sitting in thrice Olympic gold medalist and then-YMCA Vice President of Aquatics Rowdy Gaines’ office on his first day of work in Orlando.

“All of a sudden, this older gentleman walks in with a bag full of trash and sets it down on Rowdy’s desk,” Miller says. “I’m thinking, Rowdy Gaines is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, what is this guy putting trash on his desk for? And he just said, ‘Unacceptable.’ And then walked out.

“Of course, I’m going, ‘Who is this guy?’ and Rowdy looks at me and says, ‘That’s Mr. Rosen.’ I had no idea who this Rosen guy was. I had come to the YMCA from Ohio. I had to act like I knew who he was until I quickly went to Google and saw who he was.”

There was no way Miller could have known at the time the impact Mr. Rosen would have on him personally and professionally in the coming years.

Mr. Rosen Saves the Aquatic Center, Again

Fast-forward to 2020.

When the COVID-19 pandemic blindsided the world, places of community gathering were hit hard.

In February, the Central Florida YMCA Aquatic Center closed its doors, unsure of what the coming months would bring. It wasn’t long before they decided to close for good.

However, rather than seeing the facility once again face an uncertain future, the YMCA transferred ownership to Mr. Rosen. Despite the economic uncertainty of the world at the time and having multiple hotel properties closed due to the pandemic, Mr. Rosen knew what he had to do for a community he loved so dearly.

Later in 2020, he transformed the facility into an independent nonprofit and reopened it with its brand-new name, the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center Inc.

When Miller got wind of the changes coming to the aquatic center under Mr. Rosen’s passionate guidance, his response was, “I don’t care how, I just want to be a part of it.”

On November 11, 2020, Miller was officially hired as a Rosen Associate, stepping into the role of executive director and ushering in a new era of passion and service to the Central Florida community.

The Impact of the RAFC

The RAFC wasn’t just important to Mr. Rosen; it is special to people on a local, national, and global level.

From the Speedo Arena and TYR Pro Series to Pan American championships, the RAFC is known for its events. Some of the most decorated Olympians in the world have qualified for Olympic events at the RAFC, including Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.

Miller says, “Our record board is one of the coolest things you’ll see with the names that are on it.”

They’ve recently had the honor of hosting the U.S. Paralympic Swimming National Championships, and their Special Olympics home team, the Man O’ War Swim Team, is one of the largest Special Olympics teams in the country.

“They’re our home team and we do not charge them any membership fees or rental fees,” says Miller. “That’s a big part of why we’ve kept the doors open.”

Families in the Central Florida community have also greatly benefitted from the Learn to Swim programs offered by the RAFC.

“Anybody that has never had a swim lesson before and qualifies for our preschool or school-aged level 1 or 2 classes gets a free swim lesson,” Miller says with pride. “It doesn’t matter how much money you make, where you’re from, what color your skin is, there’s no test you have to take. If you’ve never had a swim lesson, there’s no excuse. It’s free. Get in here!”

Teaching children to swim was an endeavor close to Mr. Rosen’s heart.

Miller recalls an impactful memory he has of Mr. Rosen from the first event the RAFC hosted after reopening following COVID.

“We did a lap around the facility and saw all the kids and he said, ‘Michael, this is why we did it. This is exactly why we did it.’ I said, ‘I’ve got something to show you.’ And we walked around and there were camps going on for the JCC, so we had kids doing swim lessons in the pool.

“We walked him into the viewing room, and he was looking through the glass windows and he just put his hands over his eyes and actually shed tears because he was so happy that swim lessons were continuing in that facility. I’ll never forget that moment.”

What the RAFC Meant to Mr. Rosen

RAFC regulars may not have known the unassuming man swimming in lane two every morning was none other than Harris Rosen, the man who saved the facility they were in not once, but twice.

“It was a place he could go and be himself,” Miller says fondly. “When he was inside those walls, he wasn’t ‘Mr. Rosen.’ Everyone says, ‘When you’re swimming, the line doesn’t talk back.’ It’s a place to get away. I think the aquatic center was a very special place for him.”

The RAFC meant more to Mr. Rosen than just a peaceful place to swim.

“Our wellness floor is named the Adam Michael Rosen Fitness Center because of his late son Adam Michael, who was very special to him,” Miller explains. “Adam was a very fit young man. We called him a ‘beast.’

“There’s actually a silhouette of Adam on both of the entrance doors. Every morning, when Mr. Rosen would get there, he would kiss his finger and put it on Adam’s forehead. And every day before he left, he’d kiss his finger and put it on Adam’s forehead.”

What Mr. Rosen Means to the RAFC 

“There would be no RAFC without Mr. Rosen,” Michael Miller says honestly, “and that goes from before it was the RAFC. That facility would not be there if it were not for Mr. Rosen.”  

Mr. Rosen’s impact extends far beyond the brick-and-mortar structure of the organization he rescued.  

“He brought hospitality to the RAFC,” Miller explains. “He made it better. He made it more of a family center. He made it so you really know when you walk through those doors that everyone cares about you.”  

From the day they first met, Mr. Rosen made an impact on Miller.  

“I once worked and had a CEO who introduced himself to me ten times. Mr. Rosen knew I was Michael after the first time I met him as a YMCA employee, and I was Michael every day after that.” 

Of course, Mr. Rosen’s dedication to the community was the heart and soul of the RAFC.  

“Before, we knew the events were what really brought in the revenue to keep us successful,” says Miller. “But when Mr. Rosen joined, it was more about, what are we doing for the community when we get that revenue? If we raise a dollar over our budget, how is that dollar going to go back and affect a different family we haven’t affected before?” 

Lessons in Leadership

As far as the future of the RAFC is concerned, it’s in exceptional hands with Miller.

“I learned so much from Mr. Rosen and really am blessed to be able to carry on the legacy and continue to support the community in the same way he did. When I joined the Rosen team, I realized this is supporting the community. This is what it means to support the community in whatever way you can for that person next to you.”

Mr. Rosen’s pride in property also made a lasting impression on Miller on his first day on the job when Mr. Rosen hand-delivered Rowdy Gaines that bag of garbage from the parking lot.

“As executive director, I went out and started doing parking lot checks every morning. Because I know if my boss could do it, I can do it, too.”

As for one of Miller’s favorite memories of Mr. Rosen?

“If Mr. Rosen ever called you, you got three rings and then you’d better pick up. There was a time he called, and it was a special day of mine, so I knew I could let the call go to voicemail. It was him singing Happy Birthday to me. I will keep it and cherish it for the rest of my life.”

Honoring Harris Rosen at the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center

How do you commemorate the legacy of a man who meant so much to the RAFC?

“We’re retiring locker 39,” Miller shares. “Mr. Rosen used locker 39 every day, because he was born in 1939, so we are going to be putting a gold-plated lock on it and retiring it.”

That’s not the only place you’ll be able to honor the RAFC’s biggest fan.

“He swam in lane two every day, so at the end of his lane, we’re going to put a sign that says, ‘The Harris Rosen Legacy Lane.’ We’re putting it right where he would sit at the edge of the pool every day before he would jump in.”

Of course, Mr. Rosen’s legacy will live on in the organization’s continuous efforts to serve the community.

“We want to enhance what we currently offer. Our Learn to Swim program is something that was very near and dear to him. We’ve continued to grow it since day one, and we are not looking back.”

Additionally, the RAFC will continue to support the Special Olympics as it has from the first encounter that inspired Mr. Rosen to save the facility back in 1992.

“Any impact we can make, we will continue to make. Any aquatic sport, any way we can help anyone get to the next level, doesn’t matter what age, what level they’re at. We want to help everyone get to the next level.”

Everyone who loved Mr. Rosen knows how near and dear to him the RAFC was. Miller has no doubt Mr. Rosen’s affection for the organization will be carried on by the next generation of the Rosen family.

“The aquatic center has always been very important to Mr. Rosen, and I think it’s just as important to the family. They don’t have to come every day like he did, but they know how important it is because they have that same love for the community, too.”

You can serve the RAFC community and honor Mr. Rosen’s legacy by making a donation that will in turn support vital programming including Special Olympics and our Learn to Swim programs.

You are also invited to become a member of the RAFC and take advantage of the incredible aquatic facilities, group classes, fitness center, and other amenities.

When asked for ways that others can support the RAFC besides membership and financial contribution, Miller smiles and answers, “Volunteer for our events. Come out and see some of our events firsthand. Not only that, volunteer for the community. I think that’s what Mr. Rosen would say. Go and do the right thing.”