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The Salvation Army Kroc Center & GRPS Partner Again To Bring Water Safety To Students

Salvation Army Kroc Center
/
grkroccenter.org

The Salvation Army Kroc Centre has partnered with Grand Rapids Public Schools for free swim lessons. The program makes its return following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The Salvation Army Kroc Centre has partnered with Grand Rapids Public Schools for free swim lessons. The program makes its return following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Every student in the 2nd grade at Brookside Elementary will have the opportunity to learn water safety and basic swimming skills, as part of a program offered by The Salvation Army Kroc Center that is back after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two second-grade classes from Brookside, with about 50 students will spend one hour each day at the Kroc Center for five days. Classes will begin on Monday, May 16. The program teaches basic skills like floating and kicking that can provide a foundation for further swim instruction.

Major Carol Huffman, Senior Kroc Officer says, quote, “It’s been devastating to have had this partnership with Grand Rapids Public Schools on pause during the pandemic, but we’re thrilled to be able to bring it back this spring.”

Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Leadriane Roby added, in part, quote, "The Salvation Army Kroc Center has long been a great champion for our students, and we thank them for their continued support of this program. As plans to restore the rapids and increase access to our water resources move forward, it is vitally important that all children learn about water safety and how to swim." End quote.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second-leading injury-related cause of death for children age 1 to 14; additionally, the drowning rate of African-American children ages 5 to 9 is nearly three times the rate among white children.

More information about the Kroc Center and its programs can be found at GrKrocCenter.org.

Jennifer is an award winning broadcast news journalist with more than two decades of professional television news experience including the nation's fifth largest news market. She's worked as both news reporter and news anchor for television and radio in markets from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo all the way to San Francisco, California.