TROY, Mich., May 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of
National Water Safety Month, Goldfish Swim School has launched a
'Safer Swimmer Pledge' campaign to bring greater awareness to water
safety and drowning prevention. Throughout the month of May,
families are encouraged to take the pledge and promote the
importance of parent-child conversations around water safety. Those
who take the pledge will be entered to win one year of free swim
lessons at Goldfish Swim School. Additionally, for each pledge,
Goldfish Swim School will donate $1
to the USA Swimming Foundation,
the philanthropic arm of USA
Swimming, which supports swim lesson providers with resources,
materials and grant funding to allow the opportunity for every
child across the country to learn to swim.
"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," said Chris McCuiston,
CEO and co-founder of Goldfish Swim School. "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."
Sadly, childhood drownings have been on the rise as the American
Academy of Pediatrics issued a formal warning of an increased
threat in drownings due to implications brought on by the pandemic.
Goldfish Swim School is committed to making a positive impact to
help prevent such drownings by bringing greater awareness to water
safety heading into the summer months (May-August), which according
to Total Aquatics Programming data, account for two-thirds of
annual childhood drowning incidents. Due to restrictions brought on
by the pandemic, many children have been out of swim lessons for
some time, making it critical to brush up on water safety tips
before their first experience back in the water – 'It's Time to Get
Back in the Swim of Things™.'
"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."
By visiting the Safer Swimmer Pledge landing page, families can
sign to join the cause in promoting and prioritizing water safety,
while also accessing at-home water safety tools and activities and
reviewing "water safety whys" - families first-hand experiences and
testimonials on how water safety has made an impact in their lives.
Once families have taken the pledge, they will also receive a promo
code for 25% off any Speedo USA
purchase with 10% of that purchase also donated 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," said Cullen Jones, Philanthropic Sales Manager –
Speedo. "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."
Also championing this cause as a vocal advocate for water safety
is Goldfish Swim School brand ambassador and World Champion Swimmer
Ryan Murphy, who is supporting the initiative while in the throes
of training for the postponed 2020 Games.
"Even as I gear up for the Games, my passion lies in spreading
the important message of water safety," said Murphy, who is also an
ambassador for the USA Swimming
Foundation. "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."
Throughout the campaign, Goldfish Swim School will be announcing
various pledge prizes on social media along with the grand
prize winner of a year of free swim lessons on June 4. The winning family will be contacted
directly to begin the onboarding process and gear up for lessons
just in time for the summer season ahead.
With all schools committed to operating Safer. Stronger.
Together. ™, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water
safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12
years, teaching children how to be safer in and around the water.
Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary
philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay®, to build life
skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a
fun and safe environment. Each school's number one focus and main
priority is always the same – educating children on water safety
while teaching them how to swim and respect the water.
"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."
To take the Safer Swimmer Pledge, please visit
goldfishswimschool.com/saferswimmerpledge.
For more information on Goldfish Swim School, please visit
https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/.
About Goldfish Swim School
Founded by husband
and wife team Chris and Jenny
McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and
water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months
to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors
in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their
research-based philosophy called The Science of
SwimPlay®. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was
established in Birmingham,
Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in
2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its
Franchise 500® ranking, Franchise Times' Fast &
Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is
currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities
throughout North America, with
more than 110 schools open, and an additional 130+ in development
in more than 30 states and Canada.
Media Contact: Kelly
McNamara, Fishman PR, 847-945-1300,
KMcNamara@fishmanpr.com
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SOURCE Goldfish Swim School