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Girl Scouts and YMCA of the Capital Area to partner this May to teach girls and their parents to swim

APRIL 2012

Every summer there’s a heart-breaking news story or two about a child who has accidentally drowned, or an adult whose life was lost trying to save another.  Girl Scouts Louisiana East, together with the YMCA of the Capital Area, wants to stop that from happening, and is offering a SPLASH – Learn to Swim program, May 21-24, at four YMCA locations in Baton Rouge. 

“In a state with so much water, it’s surprising how many people don’t know how to swim,” said Girl Scouts Louisiana East CEO Jackie Alexander.  “If we can help others learn to swim, I know we’ll be making a positive difference and hopefully saving lives.”

The YMCA Splash Week is being offered to girls, ages 5 to 11, at AC Lewis YMCA, 350 South Foster Drive, Baton Rouge; C.B. Pennington Jr. YMCA, 15550 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge; Dow Westside YMCA, 3688 Sugar Plantation Parkway, Addis; and ExxonMobil YMCA, 7717 Howell Blvd., Baton Rouge.

SPLASH – Learn to Swim consists of four, 30-minute sessions each day of the week, with various times to accommodate parents’ schedules. Targeted at both children and parents, the sessions teach water safety practices and basic swimming skills. The program fee is $2 per girl and covers a full week of SPLASH sessions. Adults will participate in dry land workshops, and each girl is encouraged to bring an adult.

Once participants complete their SPLASH week, they are encouraged to register for reduced cost swim lessons, during which they’ll improve their swim strokes and enjoy the YMCA pools. More information will be provided after registration.

Program registration opens April 15 and closes May 10, or when maximum capacity is reached.  For session times, locations, and how to register, visit the Girl Scout website at www.gsle.org/summer/specialevents.asp. For additional information, please contact Marissa Baham, at Girl Scouts Louisiana East, at 225-927-8946, ext. 1224.

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Media contact: Marianne Addy, VP of Communications & Development
(504) 733-8220, ext. 2226 or maddy@gsle.org 

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