100 Baltimore City school kids will learn how to swim safely thanks to a $10,000 grant to the YMCA of Central Maryland. The Government Employees Health Association, GEHA, a non profit that provides medical and dental benefits for federal employees, is funding the lessons with additional support from the Baltimore Ravens. Representatives from the three organizations announced the partnership Tuesday.
In addition to free swim lessons, the students will also receive swimwear and a two-month free family membership to the Y. For Raj Vavilala, the chief marketing officer for GEHA, the initiative is personal. Vavilala told WYPR he grew up in Hyderabad, India, a city with millions of people and limited access to swimming facilities.
“We had one pool, but it was more like a hot tub,” he said. “I remember going there with my dad at 8-years-old and not being able to get in because it was so crowded. I finally learned to swim in my twenties when I came to the United States.”
Because Baltimore is surrounded by water, Vavilala and others believe teaching children how to swim yields significant benefits. “We will make 100 more confident individuals. When they conquer a fear and they get out in the world, that power they feel is going to take them many places.”
According to data gathered by the Children Safety Network, drowning is the leading cause of death for ages one through four, with higher rates among Black and Native children. The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes teaching children to swim as a crucial strategy to reduce these rates.
Funders say the “Learn to Swim” program started in Kansas City. It will ripple through more cities teaching 2,500 kids nationwide how to glide through the water with confidence. Here in Baltimore, YMCA staff will conduct the lessons at the historic Druid Hill location. Participants will be selected by community school coordinators.
“There’s incredible history at this site,” said John Hoey, president and CEO of the Central Maryland YMCA. “It includes former members — people you might have heard of — Cab Callaway, Thurgood Marshall, Elijah Cummings. All learned to swim here. So to some degree, maybe we're producing the next Cab Callaway, Thurgood Marshall or Elijah Cummings.”
