June 9, 2006 - Great Bridge/Hickory Family YMCA highlights water safety as part of We Build People annual campaign. To many children, summer safety simply means getting slathered with sunscreen by mom and walking, not running, to the snack stand.
But to a group of children at the Great Bridge/Hickory YMCA, summer safety means much more. It means you should bob up and down or float if you get caught in water over your head. It means get out of the water and rest if you are tired. It means always swim with an adult.
Through the "Help Save a Life Program", the Great Bridge/Hickory YMCA is tackling the problem of drowning in their community. In partnership with the Chesapeake Housing Redevelopment Authority, the YMCA is providing free swimming lessons to children from public housing in the South Norfolk area of Chesapeake whose families cannot afford them.
According to Cindee Marone, Senior Membership/Annual Giving Director at the Great Bridge/Hickory YMCA, the children wanted to do a water activity as part of summer camp but they didn't know how to swim. So over spring break, the children had their first lessons. The program will continue one day a week in July.
"In the beginning of the program, every single child needed a life jacket to stay above water," said Ms. Marone. "But now, they are all so much safer than before."
In the United States, nearly 800 children per year ages 0 to 14 years die from drowning because they haven't mastered basic swimming skills or they were left alone by parents or guardians. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning remains the second-leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years.
The swim lesson program is made possible by members and community leaders through support of the Great Bridge/Hickory YMCA's annual giving campaign called We Build People. Thanks to their financial generosity, no child has been turned away due to economic circumstances. Every child's life is priceless.
For more information, or to make a contribution, please contact the Great Bridge/Hickory YMCA at 757-546-9622.
|
Home |
News |
Locations |
Membership |
Programs |
About |
Ways to Give |
Employment |
Search
