Guest Column: Pool School

The following column for SRQ Daily was written by Mark Pritchett, President and CEO:

Summertime, and the swimming is easy. If you know how.

Believe it or not, many kids in our pool-filled, Gulf-side community don’t get the opportunity to properly learn how to swim. That means they lack basic water-safety skills and understanding: What do you do if you fall into a pool? Or get too deep while wading in the Gulf?

These children may also lack the confidence that comes with that knowledge. Just think how many children’s parties these days involve a swimming pool, splash park or beach visit. Now think about that seven-year-old who can’t swim, watching the rest of his friends from the pool deck. Or worse, who ignores that fact and jumps in anyway.

Thanks to some generous philanthropists, including Keith and Linda Monda and the Gould Family Foundation, over 3,000 second graders in Sarasota and Charlotte counties participated in a week’s worth of free swimming lessons this past school year. And it wasn’t simply splash time out of the classroom—although it was a blast for the students (especially the ones who made their teachers get into the pool on the final day). These children received daily lessons over five straight days from a certified swim instructor.

To read more, please continue to the July 16 edition of SRQ Daily.