FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 11, 2011
Contact: Matt Whewell (719-866-3599 / mwhewell@usaswimming.org)
USA Swimming to Host Newly - Created Saving Pools Saves Lives Workshops
Five cities will host workshops with support from the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and the Pool Safely/Consumer Product Safety Commission
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Swimming with the support of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and Pool Safely/Consumer Product Safety Commission will conduct five Saving Pools Saves Lives workshops as part of a comprehensive water safety and drowning prevention plan.
Drowning among children up to the age of 14 is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death and the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death. With cities and schools around the country making budget cuts, more pools are being forced to close reducing the ability for children to learn to swim. The Saving Pools Saves Lives workshop will provide options on how to keep your pool self-supporting with programming that benefits the entire community.
These newly created workshops will take place in five cities across the country: Cincinnati, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Orlando, Fla. and are intended for park district and school officials, along with the decision makers of the city and surrounding areas. At each workshop, attendees will hear facts about funding pools, have the opportunity to learn from others in the industry and will be able to develop a plan to keep their pools open and successfully running.
The first workshop will take place on July 20, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio and will have Kevin Dessart as keynote speaker. Dessart is the co-owner of the Colorado Springs Recreation Center, Portal Pool and Wilson Pool, which were all pools that were formerly operated by the city of Colorado Springs. He and his wife offered to take over the operations of the three pools in May of 2010. Other cities to host workshops with similar keynote speakers will be on:
September 9 - San Diego, California
October 12 - Seattle, Washington
November 4 - St. Louis, Missouri
November 30 - Orlando, Florida
For more information about the workshops or to register for a workshop, please visit the Saving Pools Saves Lives webpage here.