Raritan Valley YMCA was chosen as one of 67 from the USA Swimming Foundation’s nationwide network of swim lesson providers to receive grant money in early 2021.
The grant award will go toward Raritan Valley YMCA’s continued efforts to provide free or reduced-cost swim lessons, according to information provided by the Y.
The USA Swimming Foundation has awarded a total of $507,618 to programs across the country who will provide swim lessons to an estimated 13,800 children.
“We are honored to be chosen for this grant,” Director of Aquatics Brian Rose said in the statement. “The money we received will be put toward improving our our year-end goal of graduating 250 new kids from our learn to swim program.”
In the past, the Raritan Valley YMCA has delivered swim programs to as many as 1,000 individuals in a single year, through the swim lesson program, daily lessons for summer campers, the Riptide swim team, and free lessons through grant programs such as the USA Swimming Foundation, according to the statement. After the initial pandemic shut down, the swim lesson program re-opened in Summer 2020.
The USA Swimming Foundation vetted 243 applications through a competitive annual review process and chose 67 programs to receive funding.
“It’s an incredible feeling to know that USA Swimming Foundation funding 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,” Scott Usher, director of development for the USA Swimming Foundation said in the statement. “We are thrilled with the depth of this year’s swim lesson provider applicant pool and we couldn’t be prouder to support these lifesaving opportunities for children across the country. We owe a tremendous thank you to our partners and donors who continue to make a difference in our mission of saving lives and building champions.”
To learn more, visit www.usaswimming.org/foundation
For more information on the Raritan Valley YMCA, visit raritanvalleyymca.org