Goldfish Swim School on Tuesday announced the “Safer Swimmer Pledge” to mark National Water Safety Month in May, matching each pledge with a $1 donation to the USA Swimming Foundation to support swimming instruction.
Throughout May, the Goldfish Swim School is encouraging parents and families to take the pledge and promote conversations about water safety within their families and communities. For each pledge it receives, Goldfish Swim School will donate $1 to the USA Swimming Foundation.
“Our mission is to ensure all kids feel safe and confident in and around the water, and this campaign gets us one step closer to achieving our goal of reducing the number of accidental childhood drownings,” Chris McCuiston, CEO and co-founder of Goldfish Swim School, said in a press release. “It takes a village to help combat these avoidable tragedies, and we look forward to the thousands of signed safer swimmer pledges that come through as we join forces to support the cause of water safety awareness.”
People who take the Safer Swimmer Pledge also receive a special 25 percent off promo code from Speedo USA, which has also agreed to donate 10 percent of those purchases to the USA Swimming Foundation.
“For over 90 years, Speedo has continued to push the boundaries of innovation as the leading swimwear brand. This May, Speedo will continue this tradition by partnering with Goldfish Swim School to present the Safer Swimmer Pledge to highlight the importance of learning to swim,” Olympic gold medalist, water safety advocate and Speedo’s Philanthropic Sales Manager Cullen Jones said. “Swimming is not only a fantastic sport we rally behind as a nation, it is a life skill, and WE at Speedo believe it is a fundamental right for all.”
The Safer Swimmer Pledge is an extension of Goldfish Swim School’s mission since its founding in 2006, to offer swim lessons and water safety training by qualified instructors to children, from infants to middle school. The isolation and lack of access to pools during the COVID-19 pandemic raises the risk of drowning this summer for entire cohorts of kids who haven’t gotten water safety training. The American Academy pf Pediatrics has issued specific warnings about this increased risk. The USA Swimming Foundation has increased its grants provided in 2021 to help swim-lesson providers fill budget gaps.
“Drowning can happen anywhere at any time, to anyone, and with this pandemic-gap in swim lessons, there’s greater risk,” said Dr. Molly O’Shea of Birmingham Pediatrics + Wellness Center and official pediatrician of Goldfish Swim School. “As a pediatrician, it is so important to promote family conversations about water safety, drowning prevention and the value of swim lessons, because they have the ability to help reduce the risk of childhood drownings by 88%. This campaign is a tremendous way to bring greater attention to the importance of water safety as a family.”
The Safe Swimmer Pledge includes at-home water safety tools and “water safety whys,” sharing first-hand experiences and testimonials. Pledge-takers are also entered in special giveaways that Goldfish Swim School will announce via social media. It will culminate with a grand prize, a year of free swim lessons, on June 4.
“Even as I gear up for the Games, my passion lies in spreading the important message of water safety,” Olympic champion Ryan Murphy, who is an ambassador for Goldfish Swim Schools and USA Swimming Foundation said. “I have a deep love for the sport of swimming, but sadly drowning remains the number one cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4. With this campaign, it’s my hope more and more families will prioritize water safety. Getting swim lessons at a young age can have such a positive effect on kids and their ability to feel comfortable in and around the water, while also giving parents peace of mind at the pool or beach – and who knows, it might even spark a love of the sport too.”
To celebrate #WaterSafetyMonth with @GoldfishSwim, I’m taking the #SaferSwimmerPledge.
I challenge @USASwimming CEO Tim Hinchey, @SPEEDOUSA and the @SwimFoundation to take the pledge.https://t.co/nAkv59qsSq pic.twitter.com/glyMcUByDf
— Ryan Murphy (@ryan_f_murphy) May 3, 2021
“It’s amazing to see Goldfish Swim School Franchising stepping up to make a difference in our communities,” said Shana Ferguson, Chief Commercial Officer of USA Swimming who also spearheaded the Aquatics Coalition to lobby for the safe re-opening of purposeful, instructional aquatics amid the pandemic. “Their passion for and commitment to water safety are exemplary. Every pledge and every dollar raised will create greater awareness about the importance of learning to swim.”