When Lawrence philanthropist Alfred Bromelsick created an endowment more than a half-century ago to fund an annual Christmas party for Douglas county youths, he asked only that the party feature trees, carols and candy.

He never said anything about swimming.

But the 53rd installment of the party had hundreds of kids splashing in the waters of the Indoor Aquatic Center, 4700 Overland Drive, Saturday night.

Traditionally, the party has been at the Lied Center, where Girl and Boy Scout troops and 4-H members would sing along to Christmas carols and munch on holiday snacks. Bromelsick, a wealthy Lawrence bachelor who made his fortune in farming and banking, left his money to the three youth groups. Having an annual Christmas party was one stipulation of the donation.

Trip Anderson, a Boy Scout leader who has helped arrange the party for nearly 15 years, said the organizers wanted to give the kids something to do this year in addition to the entertainment program.

“We had a lot of feedback over the past few years, and people wanted to try something new,” Anderson said. “We wanted something where the kids had more active involvement.”

The decision to add swimming to the party docket appeared to have been popular, as nearly 1,000 parents and kids showed up. Before the pool opened at 8 p.m., hundreds of Scouts and 4-H members squirmed on the floor of the Free State High School gym and sang along to the fiddle-heavy carols of the Saint Nicholas String Band.

But swimming was clearly at the front of many of the children’s minds.

Dominic Capra, an 8-year-old member of 4-H from Overbrook, made his priority clear.

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Douglas County 4-H members swim and play at the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center during the Bromelsick Christmas Party. The Saturday night event included Christmas carols, dancing and swimming.

“Just the swimming,” he said. “Who cares if it’s cold outside? It’s warm in here.”

While the prospect of having hundreds of children aged 12 and younger around the swimming pool at the same time raised some safety concerns, Anderson said the presence of dozens of parents and Scout leaders in addition to the pool staff provided plenty of supervision.

Before the pool doors opened, a member of the pool staff encouraged the children to use the buddy system and stressed that there was to be “no dunking.”

Quail Run School third-grade Brownie Girl Scout Troop No. 57 members, from right to left, Kaitlen Dunbar, Bret Watson, Katie Bandle and Alexa Harmon-Thomas, all of Lawrence, sing Christmas carols during the Bromelsick Christmas Party.

Eight-year-old Celine Nguyen could hardly contain herself.

“I’m going swimming,” she said. “I’ve never been before. I’m going swimming!”