Step Into Swim, an initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), has recently distributed $99,590 in grant funds to 22 facilities across the country, reaching 6,297 children.

Step Into Swim is the philanthropic arm of PHTA, dedicated to drowning prevention.

Drowning is the number one cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4. It has been proven that formal swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 90%, and Step Into Swim’s grants are being used specifically for this purpose.

In May, the PHTA Board of Directors committed to donating $500,000 to fund the Step Into Swim grants.

This first round of grants has reached all across the country, from California, Arizona, and Nevada to Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, and many states in between. The grants were distributed to YMCAs, community centers, city parks and recreation departments, camps, and other facilities that are giving swimming lessons to youth in their community.

Rowdy Gaines, PHTAVice President of Partnerships & Development, said he was at a loss of words about the incredible generosity of our PHTA Board of Directors’ recent gift of $500,000 to Step Into Swim.

“With these funds, we will be able to make an immediate impact across the country to so many lesson providers, specifically those who reach out to all of our underserved communities with free or reduced-cost lessons,” Gaines said.

Step Into Swim will continue to distribute grants to facilities throughout the summer, reaching thousands of children and giving them the lifesaving skill of swimming.