Hillsborough County’s drowning statistics are the highest in the nation. Yesterday, Infant Swimming Resource, CrossFit Kids and the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA invited this deserving community to learn more about our work to ensure Not One More Child Drowns through the ISR Powered by CrossFit Kids initiative.
ISR Powered by CrossFit Kids is a nationwide initiative to provide more families with access to ISR Self-Rescue™ survival swimming lessons. ISR Certified Instructors safely teach children techniques to save themselves should they accidentally fall into water. Families also learn about water safety to keep their families safe in and around water, including swimming pools, fresh water, retention ponds, beaches and bathtubs.
Local families and media attended yesterday’s event to see first-hand how our pilot program at the South Tampa YMCA impacted their neighbors. Children who participated in the first ISR Self-Rescue™ lessons at this facility received full lesson scholarships from CrossFit Kids as part of their commitment to support children of first responders and military personnel.
During the event, Harvey Barnett, Ph.D., founder of Infant Swimming Resource, provided survival swimming lesson demonstrations and JoAnn Barnett, President and CEO of Infant Swimming Resource, spoke with parents about the importance of water safety. Families were also joined by Gregg Glassman, Founder and CEO of CrossFit, Adam Klutts, Senior Group Vice President of Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, and Tom Looby, President and CEO of Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, who demonstrated unyielding dedication to keepingHillsboroughCountychildren safe, healthy and happy.
We were excited to see how the Hillsborough County community came together to support its children. The Tampa Bay Times and Local 10 News shared video from the event online, and we were also excited to see our story aired live on nearly every TV station in Tampa.
Community leaders at the City of Tampa also showed their support for our important program. Our kids loved meeting the City of Tampa Fire Rescue and checking out their rescue vehicles, and the Mayor’s Office officially proclaimed May 2nd as Water Safety Day in the City of Tampa.
Overall, our event in Tampa represents a strong step towards reaching the day that Not One More Child Drowns. We look forward to working with CrossFit, with community facilities like the YMCA, and ISR Instructors to continually expand access to ISR and the ISR Self-Rescue™ method. Together, we are making a difference!
Read more about our event at South Tampa YMCA:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/survival-swim-classes-help-prevent-child-drownings/1228085
http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/253626/8/Swim-lessons-give-children-survival-skills
