COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The USA Swimming Foundation has announced the 2015 Make a Splash year-end grant recipients. Since 2007, the Foundation has awarded over $3.7 million dollars to help fund learn-to-swim programs across the country.
Through this late-year funding, more than 1,400 children will be served using grants provided to 13 local partners in Michigan, Wyoming, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. All grant funds are used to provide swim lessons and water safety education for children who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to learn to swim.
“Since 2007, more than 3.8 million children have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons,” says Debbie Hesse, Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation. “Together with our Make a Splash Local Partners, we are focused on achieving our goal of teaching one million children to swim each year.”
The USA Swimming Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. This year, the Foundation received more than 120 applications and awarded 67 grants totaling $354,460 to help fund learn-to-swim programs across the country. There are approximately 725 Make a Splash Local Partners who promote water safety education in their communities and provide scholarships for children to participate in their swim lesson programs.
The 2015 USA Swimming Foundation year-end Make a Splash Grant Recipients are:
- Grand Rapids Novi Sad Aquatics (Michigan)
- Laramie Recreation Center (Wyoming)
- HEAT Swimming (Missouri)
- Thelma Lovette YMCA (Pennsylvania)
- Raritan Valley YMCA (New Jersey)
- Brigantine Aquatic Center (New Jersey)
- The Newark YMCA and Greater Vicinity (New Jersey)
- YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties (New Jersey)
- Metro YMCA of the Oranges (New Jersey)
- Westfield Area YMCA (New Jersey)
- Boys and Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic (New Jersey)
- Hunterdon County YMCA (New Jersey)
- The Gateway Family YMCA, Rahway Branch (New Jersey)
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 the USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative
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 3.8 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 725 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visitwww.usaswimmingfoundation.org/makeasplash.
Swimming news courtesy of USA Swimming.