The Rome-Floyd County YMCA offers summer programs to teach kids how to swim and about water safety.
Locals willing to donate for kids to receive scholarships can do so on their website, at
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The Rome-Floyd County YMCA offers summer programs to teach kids how to swim and about water safety.
The Rome-Floyd County YMCA offers summer programs to teach kids how to swim and about water safety.
Locals willing to donate for kids to receive scholarships can do so on their website, at
In an effort to teach 1,000 local kids how to swim this year, the Rome-Floyd County YMCA is accepting donations to contribute to scholarship funds to include children of families in need.
The kids they teach come from a variety of situations, with some parents paying for their children’s swim lessons and other kids receiving scholarships to become involved in the program.
The summer swim program costs $75 for members and $115 for potential members. However, the YMCA is dedicated to not allowing a person’s finances hinder learning opportunities, including skills such as swimming, said Kellie Powell, Rome-Floyd County YMCA director of aquatics.
“We never turn someone away for an ineligibility to pay,” Powell said. “This is what the Y is all about. … We have to have money to keep our doors open, but we need to provide this necessity, and swim lessons are a necessity.”
Scholarships are funded by annual giving, and about 70% of children receive a scholarship at the Rome-Floyd County YMCA, which includes more than just their aquatic program scholarships, said Ashley Butcher, Rome-Floyd County YMCA director of special events and marketing.
The summer swim program offers two-week sessions, Monday through Thursday, for a total of eight lessons. Currently, three sessions have run, and their final summer session will begin Monday, July 21. So far, they have had more than 300 children in the door for the swim program, with nearly 100 kids for each two-week session, Powell said.
Swim lessons are about more than just learning how to stay afloat. They also teach water safety, officials said.
“We are a licensed provider for the American Red Cross swim lesson program,” Powell said. “The American Red Cross is huge on safety in, on, and around the water, so the first five to seven minutes of each class are devoted to a safety topic, and they’re really catchy and help the kids remember.”
Water safety is more than just about pools and rivers. Even the small amount of water inside homes can be dangerous. Bathtubs, toilets and buckets of water can all contribute to drowning incidents, which makes water safety important even if you aren’t near traditional bodies of water, Powell said.
“Rome is known as the city of three rivers, so there’s water everywhere,” she said. “It’s not just pools and rivers and oceans and lakes that are dangerous. A home is dangerous. … As long as the nose and mouth are covered with water, which is less than an inch or maybe, possibly, an inch of water, that person can drown. … Bringing awareness is huge, no matter where you live.”
There are still learning spots available. Their August swim program will run Aug. 5-28, and meets Tuesdays and Thursdays. Registration is available online at YMCARome.org, and kids don’t have to be from Rome to participate. They also offer adult swim classes.
Locals who would like to donate to support more children learning how to swim can do so on their website.
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