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First Coast YMCA emphasizes importance of learning how to swim

Saturday marks National Learn to Swim Day

National Learn to Swim Day (First Coast YMCA)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The First Coast YMCA, in partnership with Farah & Farah, held a special event Saturday morning at Winston Family YMCA in Riverside to talk about the importance of learning how to swim.

Saturday marked National Learn to Swim Day, a day that’s dedicated to educating parents and children about water safety.

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“It’s important to us to educate not only children but also adults and everyone about the importance of water safety,” Attorney at Farah & Farah, Dalya Farah, said.

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According to the Florida Department of Health, Florida had the highest rate of unintentional drowning death rate for kids ages 0-9 in the country from 2018-2020.

“Studies have shown that formal swim lessons reduce risk drowning by 88%,” Delonyx Cortez, First Coast YMCA Associate VP of Aquatics Programming, said.

MORE | Proposed bill would create free swimming lesson program for low-income Florida families

Cortez also said that if parents don’t know how to swim, the likelihood of their kids learning is reduced dramatically. For that reason, learning how to swim is important for both adults and children alike.

To learn more about adult swim lessons visit this website.

To learn more about youth swim lessons visit this website.


About the Author
Marcela Camargo headshot

Marcela joined News4JAX in 2023. She grew up in Mexico and eventually moved to California to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. Now, she is a proud San Diego State University alumna who has many years of experience in TV and digital journalism.

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