The Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation has partnered with Step Into Swim to provide grants for learn-to-swim providers across the Northeast and fund 40,000 swim lessons for children.
The foundation committed $200,000 to effort, receiving a direct match from the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance’s board of directors.
“Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation shares a mission with Step Into Swim – to save lives through swim lessons,” said Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines, PHTA VP of partnerships and development, who leads the Step Into Swim initiative.
“Stew and Kim [Leonard] are heroes in the water safety community, and Step Into Swim is so honored to receive their generous donation. We are excited to be able to focus these funds on the Northeast, where there is a tremendous need to increase access to swim lessons.”
Through the foundation’s $200,000 donation and ongoing partnership, Step Into Swim is able to make an impact in communities across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, where the Stew Leonard’s supermarket chain performs community outreach.
The Leonard family issued a statement, saying: “We love Rowdy Gaines and Step Into Swim. Its mission aligns with ours beautifully, which is to save a life, one lesson at a time.”
“We are thrilled to have created a partnership with Step Into Swim and look forward to working with them to prevent drownings.”
So far this year, Step Into Swim has raised more than $750,000, which has provided grants to more than 100 facilities in 33 states and funded swim lessons for 23,000 children.
The initiative has provided more than 300,000 swim lessons since 2012 through YMCAs, Jewish Community Centers and Boys and Girls Clubs. Step Into Swim is funded through contributions and 100 percent of donations go to learn-to-swim programming.
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