USA Swimming Chooses Four Cities to Host International Water Safety Day Events

Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis and Los Angeles will host events on May 15 with USA Swimming as part of International Water Safety Day, including in-water lessons and out-of-water education.

USA Swimming will offer free resources to organizations nationwide as part of the Goggles On campaign. The free Goggles On campaign resources will be available starting May 8 on the USA Swimming website. Olympic medalists Elizabeth Beisel, Rowdy Gaines, Cullen Jones and Maritza Correia McClendon will each join an event to educate children, parents, communities and civic leaders on the importance of swimming as a lifesaving skill.

“USA Swimming is proud to help raise awareness of water safety and swimming programs across the country by expanding our community support of International Water Safety Day to four locations,” USA Swimming Managing Director of Sport Development Joel Shinofield said. “As we prepare to name our next Olympic team in June, we are reminded that every athlete starts by first putting their goggles on and learning how to swim.”

USA Swimming is working directly with local school districts and municipal parks and recreations services in Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Boston as each location will host two in-water clinics, a school assembly and a water safety fair. SwimWays products including the SwimWays Swim Trainer Life Jacket, certified by the U.S. Coast Guard, will be displayed for attendees as well.

The USA Swimming Foundation, founded in 2004, continues to impact communities across America through both youth and adult learn-to-swim programs. Drowning claims the lives of approximately 3,500 people per year, nearly 25 percent being children under 14. The problem is prevalent in ethnically diverse communities, where the drowning rate is almost three times the national average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning for children by 88 percent.