PARTNERSHIP WITH USA SWIMMING FOUNDATION TO ENCOURAGES LOCAL KIDS TO LEARN TO SWIM
The Synergy Swim Academy is bringing a high-powered national child-focused water safety initiative to Napa County. Joining a network of more than 400 other organizations, Synergy Swim Academy is a "local partner" of the USA Swimming Foundation's Make a Splash initiative which aims to provide the opportunity for all children to learn to swim. To date, over 1.1 million kids have taken swim lessons through Make a Splash local partners.
Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Synergy Medical Fitness Center and Synergy Swim Academy have teamed up to help lower the chances of accidental drowning by raising awareness of the importance of water safety throughout the community. All Napa County-area families are encouraged to attend "Make a Splash at Synergy Water Safety Day" on May 19, 2012 beginning at 10 a.m. at Synergy Medical Fitness Center.
The day will be filled with:
Water activities: Be prepared to get wet! Take a mini-swim lesson with a swim instructor or swim coach, learn how to wear, float & swim in a US Coast Guard approved lifejacket, learn how recognize swimmers in distress and trouble in the water while keeping yourself safe and learn how to perform basic water rescues.
"Dry" activities: Visit our local partners and vendors! Declare yourself at our Water Safety Pledge station, learn how to perform CPR, learn to recognize & use an Automatic External Defibrillator and much more!
Make a Splash is the national child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation. The initiative aligns the nation's top learn to swim resources in an effort to save lives.
The following statistics demonstrate the need for action:
o Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children between the age of one and 14. (Centers for Disease Control, 2003)
o 60-70% of African-American and Hispanic kids do not know how to swim (USA Swimming Foundation / University of Memphis 2010) Get the numbers here
o Nine people drown in the United States every day. (CDC)
o Two-thirds of all drownings occur between May and August. (Orange County California Fire Authority)
o Approx. 75% of child drownings occur because of a lapse of adult supervision of less than 5 minutes.
o Children in the ethnic minority are nearly 3-times more likely to drown than their Caucasian peers. (CDC, 2003)
*Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control
*Source: Orange County Fire Authority
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. Whether we're equipping our children with the life-saving skill of learn-to-swim, 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. The Foundation also serves as the home for our National and Olympic Team Alumni reunions and regional events. The development efforts of the USA Swimming Foundation aim to establish an endowment to strengthen the future of USA Swimming's programs and services. To learn more, visit www.swimfoundation.org
About Make a Splash
Consistent with the goal of saving lives and providing every child in America with the opportunity to learn how to swim, Make a Splash, a national child-focused water safety initiative, was created by the USA Swimming Foundation in 2007. Make a Splash partners with learn-to-swim providers across the country to provide swimming lessons and educate kids on the importance of learning how to swim. Many partner programs are located in disadvantaged or ethnically diverse communities and provide training programs (including certified instructors, resources and quality programming) to help children become water-safe and share with them a lifelong physical fitness activity. Make a Splash's awareness campaign is built around the staggering statistics that minority children ages 5-14 are most at risk for drowning, and drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of 14. Make a Splash educates parents through a national awareness campaign; saves lives by joining forces with grassroots learn-to-swim programs and reaches hundreds of thousands of children through its programming, promotions and publicity tours. For more, visit www.makeasplash.org.
About Synergy Swim Academy
Synergy Swim Academy provides indoor swimming programs for all ages and swimming skill levels all year round in Napa. We are located adjacent to the Queen of the Valley Medical Center inside the Wellness Center and Synergy Medical Fitness Center. Synergy Swim Academy offers the following 3 programs: Swim Lessons for ages 6 months to adults, Swim Team for ages 5 to 14 and Adult Swim & Fitness Instruction for teens and adults. All of the Synergy Aquatics staff are all American Red Cross certified in Lifeguarding, First Aid & Water Safety, as well as American Heart Association certified in Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers (CPR). Each carries additional specialized certifications in water safety and coaching. All of our swim team coaches are members of the American Swimming Coaches Association and USA Swimming, and have access to the most comprehensive training and certification program for coaches of any sport in the United States. To learn more and register for swim lessons today, visit www.synergyswimacademy.com