Shout out to: Hood River Parks & Recreation
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April, 2016
Help us recognize Hood River Parks and Recreation for their awesome work with building a successful swim lesson program for adults.
Help us recognize Hood River Parks and Recreation for their awesome work with building a successful swim lesson program for adults.
In fall 2015, Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District and Columbia Gorge Masters applied for grant money from U.S. Masters Swimming “Swimming Saves Lives” foundation and received $3,000 to fund an Adult Learn to Swim program during the month of April. The money will fund five free lessons for any adult who chooses to participate, as well as providing participants with a cap, goggles, and a certificate at the end of the program.
April was Adult Learn to Swim Month, and over 50 adults in Hood River participated in a free learn to swim initiative offered by Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District and the Columbia Gorge Masters Swim Team. Many of the participants had little exposure to swimming prior to taking lessons and gained valuable lifesaving skills. Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District offers swim lessons and various aquatics classes for youth and adults at the Hood River Aquatic Center. More information about classes offered can be found at www.hoodriverparksandrec.org. Columbia Gorge Masters offers an adult swimming program five mornings a week and evenings a week at the Hood River Aquatic Center.
For more information on the Hood River adult swim program, visit this article.
Great job Marcie Wiley and Sandi Rousseau!
Photography provided by: Lasting Light Photography
April was Adult Learn to Swim Month, and over 50 adults in Hood River participated in a free learn to swim initiative offered by Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District and the Columbia Gorge Masters Swim Team. Many of the participants had little exposure to swimming prior to taking lessons and gained valuable lifesaving skills. Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District offers swim lessons and various aquatics classes for youth and adults at the Hood River Aquatic Center. More information about classes offered can be found at www.hoodriverparksandrec.org. Columbia Gorge Masters offers an adult swimming program five mornings a week and evenings a week at the Hood River Aquatic Center.
For more information on the Hood River adult swim program, visit this article.
Great job Marcie Wiley and Sandi Rousseau!
Photography provided by: Lasting Light Photography
Shout out to: Portland Parks & Recreation
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Help us celebrate our aquatics peers at Grant Pool in the City of Portland, OR for their fantastic work in community outreach last summer. Here are some highlights and programs they conducted to spread drowning prevention awareness:
2015 Safety Splash Fun Days - Portland Parks & Recreation
Too often last summer, swimmers disappeared, drowned, or had brushes with disaster in area rivers, lakes, and in the ocean. As Portland Parks & Recreation lifeguards and swim instructors—water safety specialists—in a large metropolitan area, we honored our responsibility to teach as many people as possible how to be safe and smart in the water.
With the help of other award-winning Portland Parks & Recreation Aquatics staff, we educated more than 1500 kids (and their parents) in critical topics such as staying safe in the sun, in the open water, the pool, and how to properly use lifejackets.
Participants in our popular Safety Splash Fun Days were encouraged to visit various safety stations, and received a stamp on their “passport” after completing a safety activity or learning about a particular topic. After receiving all four stamps, the holder of the passport could go to the Water Safety Wheel (aka “The Wheel of Knowledge”) to answer a water safety question. Upon correctly answering the safety question (or being educated on the correct answer), each person was awarded a Free Admission coupon to a Portland Parks & Recreation pool!
While the events targeted youth in particular, we found that parents and adults were also eager to learn how to keep themselves and their families safe in and around water. We made a variety of safety pamphlets and informational brochures available at each station. Lifeguards and swim instructors were available to answer questions and to provide other info as able.
We’re delighted that the events were wildly successful, especially with the increased attendance our Portland Parks & Recreation Pools enjoy, courtesy of various external summer camps. We found that the free admission coupons provided a lot of motivation for our customers – and that children as young as 2 enjoyed participating in the activities.
When asked, many of the children (and adults, too!) said that the event was a lot of fun, and that they learned at least one thing about water safety that they didn’t know before.
Great job Adam McGowen and Team!
2015 Safety Splash Fun Days - Portland Parks & Recreation
Too often last summer, swimmers disappeared, drowned, or had brushes with disaster in area rivers, lakes, and in the ocean. As Portland Parks & Recreation lifeguards and swim instructors—water safety specialists—in a large metropolitan area, we honored our responsibility to teach as many people as possible how to be safe and smart in the water.
With the help of other award-winning Portland Parks & Recreation Aquatics staff, we educated more than 1500 kids (and their parents) in critical topics such as staying safe in the sun, in the open water, the pool, and how to properly use lifejackets.
Participants in our popular Safety Splash Fun Days were encouraged to visit various safety stations, and received a stamp on their “passport” after completing a safety activity or learning about a particular topic. After receiving all four stamps, the holder of the passport could go to the Water Safety Wheel (aka “The Wheel of Knowledge”) to answer a water safety question. Upon correctly answering the safety question (or being educated on the correct answer), each person was awarded a Free Admission coupon to a Portland Parks & Recreation pool!
While the events targeted youth in particular, we found that parents and adults were also eager to learn how to keep themselves and their families safe in and around water. We made a variety of safety pamphlets and informational brochures available at each station. Lifeguards and swim instructors were available to answer questions and to provide other info as able.
We’re delighted that the events were wildly successful, especially with the increased attendance our Portland Parks & Recreation Pools enjoy, courtesy of various external summer camps. We found that the free admission coupons provided a lot of motivation for our customers – and that children as young as 2 enjoyed participating in the activities.
When asked, many of the children (and adults, too!) said that the event was a lot of fun, and that they learned at least one thing about water safety that they didn’t know before.
Great job Adam McGowen and Team!
Shout out to: SHARC team in Hillsboro, Oregon
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September 9, 2015
Help us celebrate our aquatics peers at SHARC in Hillsboro, OR for their fantastic work in community outreach this summer. Here are some highlights and programs they conducted to spread drowning prevention awareness:
Lifejacket Drive
From May – July, SHARC collected new and gently used lifejackets to be donated to Hagg Lake’s water safety kiosks. By the end of July, SHARC collected over 100 lifejackets! A large portion of these were purchased through an extremely generous donation from one of SHARC’s morning WEX classes. This was in memory of longtime SHARC member Frank Grant who frequented the morning WEX class. Hagg Lake officials report these lifejackets are being put to good use during this busy summer season!
Safe Kids Washington County Outreach Swim Lesson Program
On May 14th SHARC staff teamed up with Safe Kids Washington County to give a water safety presentation in an effort to better prepare the community for recreating in and around water this summer. After the presentation, we fielded water safety questions from both kids and parents and then raffled off two new lifejackets. Each participating family also received a goodie bag filled with a water watcher lanyard/whistle, first aid kit, and more.
Our main objective from this presentation, however, was to recruit five families to participate in our free outreach swim lesson program to be held in the apartment complex pool. These four, forty-five minute lessons included fifteen minutes of instructor-driven water safety discussion & demonstration, followed by thirty minutes of swim instruction. A parent or adult was required to participate in each lesson with the kids and it was rewarding to see how the water safety messages resonated with those parents as they actively demonstrated and discussed water safety with their kids.
SHARC Fest: Family Triathlon & Safety Expo
With 84 registered Family Triathlon participants, the 2015 SHARC Fest began a new yearly tradition. Participants started with a 100 yard swim in the outdoor pool, patrolled by lifeguards in kayaks. After the swim, came the 1.9 mile bike ride through the Hillsboro streets which were controlled by Hillsboro Police Officers cheering on participants. Triathletes finished with a .5 mile run around SHUTE Park ending with medals, music and a BBQ.
The free Safety Expo followed the triathlon with approximately 100 participants. There were 12 vendors and activities at the expo but the highlights of the event were kayak rides in the outdoor pool, massages from Back to Basics Chiropractor, and viewing the Hillsboro Fire Truck.
Great job Paula Rose and Ryan Myers!
Help us celebrate our aquatics peers at SHARC in Hillsboro, OR for their fantastic work in community outreach this summer. Here are some highlights and programs they conducted to spread drowning prevention awareness:
Lifejacket Drive
From May – July, SHARC collected new and gently used lifejackets to be donated to Hagg Lake’s water safety kiosks. By the end of July, SHARC collected over 100 lifejackets! A large portion of these were purchased through an extremely generous donation from one of SHARC’s morning WEX classes. This was in memory of longtime SHARC member Frank Grant who frequented the morning WEX class. Hagg Lake officials report these lifejackets are being put to good use during this busy summer season!
Safe Kids Washington County Outreach Swim Lesson Program
On May 14th SHARC staff teamed up with Safe Kids Washington County to give a water safety presentation in an effort to better prepare the community for recreating in and around water this summer. After the presentation, we fielded water safety questions from both kids and parents and then raffled off two new lifejackets. Each participating family also received a goodie bag filled with a water watcher lanyard/whistle, first aid kit, and more.
Our main objective from this presentation, however, was to recruit five families to participate in our free outreach swim lesson program to be held in the apartment complex pool. These four, forty-five minute lessons included fifteen minutes of instructor-driven water safety discussion & demonstration, followed by thirty minutes of swim instruction. A parent or adult was required to participate in each lesson with the kids and it was rewarding to see how the water safety messages resonated with those parents as they actively demonstrated and discussed water safety with their kids.
SHARC Fest: Family Triathlon & Safety Expo
With 84 registered Family Triathlon participants, the 2015 SHARC Fest began a new yearly tradition. Participants started with a 100 yard swim in the outdoor pool, patrolled by lifeguards in kayaks. After the swim, came the 1.9 mile bike ride through the Hillsboro streets which were controlled by Hillsboro Police Officers cheering on participants. Triathletes finished with a .5 mile run around SHUTE Park ending with medals, music and a BBQ.
The free Safety Expo followed the triathlon with approximately 100 participants. There were 12 vendors and activities at the expo but the highlights of the event were kayak rides in the outdoor pool, massages from Back to Basics Chiropractor, and viewing the Hillsboro Fire Truck.
Great job Paula Rose and Ryan Myers!
