The YMCA of Greater Kansas City was chosen as one of 78 Make a Splash programs in the U.S. to receive grant money from the USA Swimming Foundation in 2018.
The Y will use the award of $15,000 to help 500 youth learn to swim through partnership programs and scholarship assistance.
Youth at the Providence YMCA-Ball Family Center will benefit.
A portion of the $15,000 grant will provide scholarships for swim lessons at the Providence YMCA-Ball Family Center in Kansas City, Kansas, to give more youth the opportunity to learn important swim and water safety skills.
The grant will also support the Providence Y’s partnership to provide youth from Oak Ridge Baptist the opportunity to take swim lessons this summer.
In addition, the grant funds will also allow the Bonner Springs Family YMCA to provide swim lessons at no cost to all third graders in the Bonner Springs School District.
“We are so grateful for these funds, because they will support the Y’s work to eliminate drowning by making sure everyone in our community has the opportunity to learn how to swim,” said Michelle Ford, chief development officer of the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. “The funds will go toward our Y’s continued efforts to provide free and reduced cost swim lessons.”
The USA Swimming Foundation awarded a total of $436,515 to programs across the country that will provide swim lessons to an estimated 16,000 children.
Each year, the Y provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to more than 6,000 youth across the greater Kansas City area. Classes are available for all ages and all levels. Children as young as 6 months old can begin in Parent/Child classes, and group lessons begin for ages 3 and older.
The USA Swimming Foundation vetted 200 applications through a competitive annual review process and chose 78 programs to receive funding, 36 of whom are first time Make a Splash grant recipients.
“We are thrilled to be awarding this funding and so proud that it will be used to create a valuable swimming experience for thousands of children who may not have had the opportunity to learn how to swim,” said Debbie Hesse, USA Swimming Foundation executive director. “These exciting and lifesaving opportunities would not be possible without the support of our USA Swimming Foundation partners and donors, who continue to help us make a difference across this country.”
More than 850 Make a Splash Local Partners promote water safety education in their communities and provide scholarships and transportation for children to participate in their swim lesson programs.