Providence, RI - Swim Empowerment of Rhode Island, a project
of Adopt A Doctor will partner with the Greater Providence YMCA over the next few
months. The goal of the partnership is to identify children in the greater Providence
area that have a desire to learn to swim, but do not have access to private programs.
Greater Providence YMCA CEO, Jim Berson, has offered the swimming facilities and
expert staff at their Providence, Cranston and Seekonk locations. Swim Empowerment
has signed an agreement with Greater Providence YMCA to offer 16 weeks of free swim
lessons which will be broken up into two 8 week sessions. The initial session, set
to begin on March 1st, will accommodate two groups of youngsters (ages 3-5, and
ages 6-12). There are a total of 42 spaces available. Parents who wish to take
advantage
of this program can contact Swim Empowerment at 401.421.0606. Please do not contact
the YMCA directly.
Studies have shown that learning how to swim is an important step towards independence
and developing a lifestyle of health and exercise. Unfortunately, without adequate
training, swimming can often be a major factor in tragedies that affect thousands
of families each year. Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death
for children in the United States. These tragic and preventable accidents account
for more than 3,500 deaths annually. To make matters worse, the African American
community is disproportionately affected: African American children between the
ages of 5 and 14 are three times more likely than their peers to die of an accidental
drowning. 70% of African Americans cannot swim at all.
Swim Empowerment plans to combat these broad problems in a systematic way. Our program
will be responsive to the needs of our participants in providing culturally-sensitive
trainers, peer mentors to address individual issues or fears, and promote inclusion
and excitement in developing an important life-saving skill. With your donation,
Swim Empowerment can change these statistics in Rhode Island, improve lives, and
make swimming accessible to everyone.
For more information, contact Rickman Group at 401.421.0606 or email
dylan@rickmangroup.com.
