MILWAUKEE — In Wisconsin, the start of summer ushers in the popular outdoor swimming season. One swim school in the Milwaukee area is trying to increase access to lessons for all kids and prevent drownings.
Nationwide, drowning is one of the leading causes of death for kids. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children between ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than any other death. For children ages 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death, after car crashes.
British Swim School — which has locations in Delafield and Cudahy — is working with the Hope Floats Foundation to provide scholarships for swimming lessons to children whose families may struggle to afford them.
According to the foundation, 79% of children in households with incomes of less than $50,000 have little to no swimming ability. Studies from the National Institutes of Health show swim lessons can reduce that risk of drowning by 88%.
“We start with the basics, learning how to jump in, roll over on their back and float,” said Marnie Gannon, who co-owns the British Swim School locations in the Milwaukee area with her husband Joel.
She said they hope to raise $10,000 and are getting help from some families who already have their children in swim lessons at their locations.
“All kids should have the opportunity to be able to learn how to swim and survive,” said Catie Behling, a mother of four who currently takes her youngest son to British Swim School for lessons. “It’s a matter of life and death that my kids know how to respond to a surprise of accidentally being in the water.”
If you’d like to donate to the British Swim School, you can do so online. Those interested in applying for a swimming scholarship can visit the school’s website.
