MAKE A SPLASH

The Press Release below was sent out by the USA Swimming Foundation recently to announce the growth and success the water safety program is experiencing. For a video clip of the importance of water safety from an international stand point, check out this program in Bangladesh.

PRESS RELEASE

USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash Initiative Teaches 200,000th Child
National Water-Safety Initiative Reaches Milestone in Three Years

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative has reached a milestone, teaching its 200,000th child to swim. The Make a Splash initiative, created in 2007 in response to the fact that drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death for youth in America, is a national child-focused water safety initiative that aims to provide the opportunity for every child in the nation to learn to swim.

“To think that in three short years, 200,000 children have gotten the opportunity to learn this essential life skill is incredible,” said Chris LaBianco, Chief Development Officer for the Foundation. “It’s amazing to see what we can accomplish by bringing this issue to the attention of the American public, and by having a dedicated network of local providers who are willing to make a difference.”

Make a Splash works by educating parents through a national awareness campaign, and providing opportunities for kids to learn to swim through its 184 local partner clubs in 37 states. To date, more than 211,000 children have taken lessons through Make a Splash Local Partners.

The initiative also focuses on ethnically diverse areas. Research shows that drowning statistics are far worse in African- American and Hispanic communities where children drown at a rate almost three times higher than Caucasian children in similar age groups. The USA Swimming Foundation is committed to changing these statistics through the Make a Splash initiative.

To become a local partner program, lesson providers are required to a percentage of their lessons for free or at a low cost swimming lessons, or to provide another form of water safety education to their communities. Local partner programs are eligible for support from the USA Swimming Foundation including marketing rights and grant monies. Grant money is raised by the USA Swimming Foundation through local donors and funding from corporate partners such as ConocoPhillips. Members of the public can also “sponsor a swim lesson,” by visiting www.makeasplash.org.

For more information on Make a Splash and to find a local partner program in your area, visit www.makeasplash.org.