Wayne YMCA to Offer Free Safety Around Water Program in June

The Wayne YMCA and three other branches of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges will offer free Safety Around Water classes in June with support of a $5,000 USA Swimming Foundation grant.

The Metro YMCA’s Safety Around Water was among 78 learn-to-swim programs nationwide selected to receive a Make a Splash grant from 200 applications. The Wayne YMCA, the East Orange YMCA, the Sussex County YMCA, and the West Essex YMCA will use the funding to teach basic swimming skills to children and adults who have little or no swimming experience.

“Swimming is both a life skill and a life-saving skill,” Wayne YMCA Associate Executive Director Bill Kanas said. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 14. “We’re grateful to the USA Swimming Foundation for helping us provide lessons to individuals who otherwise would not have access to them,” Kanas said.

Sixty-four percent African-American children and 45 percent of Hispanic/Latino children do not have the basic swimming skills to keep them safe around water, according to USA Swimming Foundation research.

The Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges intends to provide instruction to up to 300 people in 2018, Kanas said. The program is made possible through: the Make a Splash grant; donors to the Y’s annual campaign; and the Y’s Signature Partner, Suburban Consulting Engineers, Inc.

The YMCA works closely with other community organizations, including school districts, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, houses of worship, recreation departments, police departments, and fire and rescue squads, to get word out about the Safety Around Water program. The YMCA has been providing water safety lessons for more than 20 years.

“We are thrilled to be awarding this funding and so proud that it will be used to create a valuable swimming experience for thousands of children who may not have had the opportunity to learn how to swim,” USA Swimming Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hesse said.

The free Safety Around Water lessons at the Metro YMCA branches will be held June 25-29. Each lesson is taught by certified swim instructors, with a ratio of six students per instructor. Participants will do exercises in the pool to adjust to the water and learn what to do if they unexpectedly find themselves in water. They’ll learn pool rules and take part in games that encourage comfort and activity around water.

For more information about the upcoming Safety Around Water program, call the Wayne YMCA at 973-595-0100 or visit wayneymca.org.

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ABOUT THE Y

Established in 1885, the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges invests in its diverse communities to promote wellness, safety and quality of life for children, adults and seniors. Its six branches in East Orange, Livingston, Maplewood, Hardyston, Stillwater and Wayne are committed to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility through an array of programs. Some 35,000 people belong to the Metro Y, which awards more than $2.8 million annually in direct and indirect financial assistance.