- Harper and Scott Elementary students are evaluated and given free swimming lessons every year.
- Lessons focus on building comfort and safety in the water, not just swim technique.
- The Junior Service League’s May 8th BBQ fundraiser helps cover the program's cost.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Before kids jump in the pool this summer, some need help learning how to stay safe in it.
I'm checking out free swim lessons—and why they're so important for the community.
Swimming is a critical skill, and for some kids, it can literally save their lives.
But not every family can afford lessons.
That's where the Junior Service League comes in, raising money through a BBQ dinner to make sure every child gets the chance to learn how to swim.
"We really try to focus on breathing. When you're swimming, you cannot hold your breath and run, you can't hold your breath and swim, so it's the constant blowing out when your face is in, being able to roll over, get that breath in, and then be able to go right back under and blow out," said Amber Rackley.
Rackley has been teaching swimming lessons at the Y for more than 25 years.
She says learning to swim is about more than just strokes and technique—it's about making kids feel comfortable and safe in the water.
"If they don't know how to swim, they might not make it, and that happens every year, and that's always a tragic accident, you know. Drowning is one of the leading causes of child deaths in the United States, so it's very important for them to at least have the basic skills on knowing how to tread water, swim to the edge of the pool, or the edge of a body of water in case they were falling," said Woods.
This program is focused on preventing drowning in younger kids, especially those from Scott and Harper Elementary Schools.
With support from the Junior Service League, these kids get their swimming skills evaluated and then receive lessons that build on what they've already learned. There's no cost to the children's families.
Junior Service League's BBQ fundraiser is happening at the Thomasville History Center on May 8th.
You can check JSL's Facebook page to donate and support their programs.
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