On Wednesday, May 14 the Aquatic Staff of the Downtown and Pierson Road branches of the YMCA of Greater Flint are swimming to raise money for the Partner with Youth Campaign. The campaign raises funds for kids and families who need it most with scholarship assistance for a Y program, camp, or membership. In 2012, the fund raised over $400,000 and helped over 8,000 individuals in the Greater Flint area.
The Swim-A-Thon takes place during National Water Safety Month, which raises awareness about the dangers of water and encourages people of all ages to learn safe water skills. According to a 2010 USA Swimming study:
· Nine people drown each day in the U.S., and children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to be at risk of drowning.
· In ethnically-diverse communities, the youth drowning rate is two to three times higher than the national average.
· Nearly six out of 10 African American and Hispanic/Latino children are unable to swim, nearly twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts.
· While about one-third of white children from non-swimming families go on to learn to swim, less than one-tenth of children in non-swimming African American families do.
Many of the members who come to the YMCA of Greater Flint, like Marilyn Howell, do so because they also recognize the importance of water safety. “For many years I’ve always wanted to learn to swim. I would watch how others fearlessly jumped into the pool for a swim or the lake treading the waters,” said Marilyn. “Neither of my parents or five siblings ever knew how to swim. My mom was even afraid of the water, but I was determined to one day learn. After recently visiting the pool with my granddaughter and daughter I decided to take swim lessons at the YMCA. Now at 61 years old, I can fearlessly jump in the pool’s deep end, tread water and swim. I fulfilled my dream. I CAN SWIM!”
Marilyn is now using her skills to help the YMCA raise money for the Partner with Youth Campaign during the annual Swim-A-Thon. For more information on swim lessons at the YMCA, National Water Safety Month, or the Swim-A-Thon contact YMCA of Greater Flint Aquatic Directors Stevie Cooper at 810.232.9622 or Katie Turner at 810.732.9622.
