YMCA and City to Host Free Water Safety Community Event

April 12, 2019 - The YMCA of San Diego County and the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department and are proud to be collaborating on the inaugural Summer Safety Splash Tour 2019. The tour offers a series of four free community-based events in an effort to help spread water safety awareness and prevent drowning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is currently the leading cause of accidental injury death for all children 1-14 years old, and the drowning rates for minority children are up to ten times higher than those of non-minority children. As local leaders in aquatics and pool facilities, the City and the YMCA both share the commitment to keep kids safe around the water.

“City pools will once again host thousands of children this summer and it is critical they possess the skills they need to be confident and safe in the water,” said Herman Parker, director of the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. “We are excited to partner with the Y to offer educational programming that is fun and can literally save the lives of children throughout San Diego.”

The event schedule and locations are as follows:

Summer Safety Splash Tour 2019

• April 27, 2019
  • Cameron Family YMCA/City of Santee Aquatics Center (10123 Riverwalk Dr., Santee)
• May 25, 2019
  • Bud Kearns Pool (2229 Morley Field Dr., San Diego)
• June 29, 2019
  • Border View Family YMCA (3601 Arey Dr., San Diego)
• July 27, 2019
  • Carmel Valley Pool (3777 Townsgate Dr., San Diego)
• All Event Times: 12 - 4 p.m.

Each event is open to the public and will include a variety of fun and interactive booths, free sunscreen and prizes, recreational swim time, tests for water competency, life jacket safety, games and crafts, CPR demos and more. Light refreshments will also be provided, as well as options to purchase food.

“All children deserve access to water safety resources and events like these are great starting points to not only get kids comfortable in the water, but help them develop a love of swimming,” said Baron Herdelin-Doherty, President & CEO of the YMCA of San Diego County. “Here locally our YMCAs teach 22,000 children water safety and swimming each year. Swim lessons and water safety are just a few of the ways the Y helps strengthen our communities and get kids ready for summer.”

Generous funding for the tour is provided by the Prevent Drowning Foundation and the YMCA.

To access this information online, visit www.ymca.org/splashtour.

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About the YMCA of San Diego County

The YMCA of San Diego County is the second largest Y in the nation serving more than 435,000 San Diego County residents and employing more than 5,500 people. Through a variety of programs and services focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y unites men, women and children - regardless of age, income or background - to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of San Diego County is dedicated to improving the quality of human life and to helping all people realize their fullest potential as children of God through the development of the spirit, mind and body. Visit www.ymca.org to find your local YMCA or call (858) 292-YMCA (9622).