Pools across the country are open and children are flocking to them.
However, drownings are the second leading cause of death for children under 14 and are especially prominent in minority communities. Studies show 70 percent of African-American and 60 percent of Hispanic/Latino children don't know how to swim. To help reduce the risk, the USA Swimming Foundation has set the goal of teaching 800,000 children to swim this year through its Make a Splash Tour presented by Phillips 66 and a nationwide local provider network of more than 725 locations.
Gainesville's Frances Meadows Aquatic Center is one of them.
“One drowning is one too many. Knowing how to swim can be the difference between life and death, as formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent,” said Debbie Hesse, Executive Director of USA Swimming Foundation. “Drowning is such a big problem, but it’s 100 percent preventable. The USA Swimming Foundation and Phillips 66 are educating communities on the opportunity to make learning to swim a life skill all children can easily acquire this summer.”
The child-focused water safety campaign is designed to educate parents, kids and communities about the importance of learning to swim.
Drowning statistics:
- Approximately 10 people drown every day in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with nearly 25 percent children younger than 14
- 70 percent of African-American and 60 percent of Hispanic/Latino children cannot swim, according to a national research study by the USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis
- Only 13 percent of kids who come from a non-swimming household will ever learn to swim, the USA Swimming Foundation found
- African-American children drown at a rate nearly three times higher than their Caucasian peers, the CDC reports
- Drowning is a silent killer—most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time, according to the Present P. Child Drowning study
About the USA Swimming Foundation
The USA Swimming Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming. Established in 2004, the Foundation works to strengthen the sport by saving lives and building champions— in the pool and in life. Whether we’re equipping our children with the life-saving skill of learn-to-swim through our Make a Splash initiative, or providing financial support to our heroes on the U.S. National Team, the USA Swimming Foundation aims to provide the wonderful experience of swimming to kids at all levels across the country. To learn more, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org.
About Make a Splash
The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative is a national child-focused water safety campaign, which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim. Through Make a Splash, the USA Swimming Foundation partners with learn-to-swim providers and water safety advocates across the country to provide swimming lessons and educate children and their families on the importance of learning how to swim. The USA Swimming Foundation has invested millions of dollars to provide grants to qualified Local Partner learn-to-swim programs, to spread national awareness, and to bring together strategic partners to end drowning. To date, more than 3 million children have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through the USA Swimming Foundation Make a Splash Local Partner network, comprised of more than 700 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visit www.makeasplash.org.
