USA Swimming Awards $342,000 In Make A Splash Grant Funding

To help swim lesson providers nationwide offer lessons to children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford them, the USA Swimming Foundation has awarded more than $342,000 through its 2017 Make a Splash grant program. Since 2007 the Foundation has given more than $4.3 million dollars to help fund learn-to-swim programs across the country.

Through Make a Splash funding this year, more than 25,000 children will be served through grants provided to 71 Make a Splash Local Partners across 25 states. The 71 Make a Splash Partners marks the most ever number of providers in a single grant cycle. Over the last 10 years, 4.9 million children have received formalized swim instruction through Make a Splash Local Partners.

“Our goal is that by the end of this year, one million children will be given the opportunity to learn to swim through the Make a Splash Local Partner network, and the grant money we award will help those who otherwise would not have the opportunity,” says Debbie Hesse, Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation. “We couldn’t provide these grants without the support of donors, sponsors and foundations who help support our efforts to provide free and reduced swim lessons for children around the country.”

Make a Splash Local Partners such as the YMCA of Greater Houston (Texas); MD National Capital Parks & Planning Commission (Maryland); Harris County Aquatics Program (Texas); King Marlin Swim Club (Oklahoma); Marlin Swim School (Oklahoma); Lowcountry Aquatic Project Swimming (South Carolina); Muskegon YMCA (Michigan) and Greensboro Aquatic Center (North Carolina) will each serve lessons to over 1,000 children through their learn-to-swim programs.

The USA Swimming Foundation awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. This year, the Foundation received nearly 200 applications and awarded 71 grants totaling more than $342,000 to help fund learn-to-swim programs across the country. There are approximately 850 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 2017 USA Swimming Foundation Make a Splash Grant Recipients are:

• Pitchfork Aquatics Swim School (Arizona)
• Saguaro Aquatics (Arizona)
• 5 Cities Swim School (California)
• SafeSplash Fremont (California)
• Copley-Price Family YMCA (California)
• AnT swim school (California)
• Pacific Coast Marlins Learn to Swim (California)
• Valley of the Moon Aquatics (California)
• SafeSplash Aurora Parker/Arapahoe (Colorado)
• SafeSplash Aurora Town Center (Colorado)
• SafeSplash Colorado Springs (Colorado)
• SafeSplash Park Hill Central Denver (Colorado)
• Englewood Parks and Recreation (Colorado)
• Fountain Valley YMCA (Colorado)
• Foothills’ Adaptive Swim and Play program (Colorado)
• Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc. (Connecticut)
• DC Department of Parks and Recreation (Washington, DC)
• Swim With Becky And Friends, LLC. (Florida)
• City of Miami (Florida)
• Easter Seals South Florida (Florida)
• Indian River County Recreation (Florida)
• City of West Palm Beach (Florida)
• The Gift of Swimming (Florida)
• Palama Settlement (Hawaii)
• McGaw YMCA (Illinois)
• West Cook YMCA (Illinois)
• YMCA of the Capital Area (Louisiana)
• Belle Chasse YMCA (Louisiana)
• MNCPPC (MD National Capital Parks & Planning Commission) (Maryland)
• Greater Holyoke YMCA (Massachusetts)
• Merrimack Valley YMCA (Massachusetts)
• Detroit Parks and Recreation Department (Michigan)
• Detroit Swims YMCA (Michigan)
• Holland Community Aquatic Center (Michigan)
• Muskegon Young Men’s Christian Association (Michigan)
• Brooklyn Center Community Center (Minnesota)
• City of Brooklyn Park Recreation & Parks (Minnesota)
• YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Downtown Minneapolis Branch (Minnesota)
• YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, North Community Youth Branch (Minnesota)
• YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Ridgedale Branch (Minnesota)
• YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Northwest New Hope Branch (Minnesota)
• Great Wolf Swim Club (Minnesota)
• Robbinsdale Area Schools Community Education (Minnesota)
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City (Missouri)
• Kansas City Parks and Recreation (Missouri)
• Raritan Valley YMCA (New Jersey)
• Hunterdon County YMCA (New Jersey)
• SafeSplash Hasbrouck Heights (New Jersey)
• SafeSplash Parsippany (New Jersey)
• Brigantine Aquatic Center (New Jersey)
• The Gateway Family YMCA (New Jersey)
• YMCA of Broome County, Binghamton Branch (New York)
• YMCA of Broome County, West Family Branch (New York)
• Buffalo City Swim Racers (New York)
• Swim Strong Foundation, Inc. (New York)
• New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (New York)
• Greensboro Aquatic Center (North Carolina)
• Cincinnati Recreation Foundation (Ohio)
• King Marlin Swim Club, Marlin Swim School (Oklahoma)
• YWCA Tulsa (Oklahoma)
• Methodist Family Services of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania)
• New England Swimming (Rhode Island)
• Lowcountry Aquatic Project Swimming (LAPS) (South Carolina)
• Lone Star Lifesavers (Texas)
• YMCA of Greater Houston (Texas)
• Harris County Aquatics Program (Texas)
• Katy Aquatics (Texas)
• SafeSplash Houston (Texas)
• SafeSplash Keller (Texas)
• SwimRVA (Virginia)
• Seattle Parks and Recreation (Washington)

For more information on Make a Splash Local Partner Grant Opportunities, visit: http://goo.gl/TX3qj8.

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, 4.9 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 850 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org/makeasplash.

News courtesy of USA Swimming.