Bruce Wigo, CEO of International Swimming Hall of Fame, Takes Volunteer Position as S.W.I.M.S. Foundation President

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida, January 18. IN addition to his duties as the CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF), Bruce Wigo will succeed Barry Shaw as the president of the S.W.I.M.S. (Safe Water Instruction Means Safety) Foundation. Shaw was the Foundation's founding President and served in that capacity since its inception in 1999.

Last year, under Shaw's leadership, the S.W.I.M.S. Foundation raised more than $100,000 in grant funds to provide scholarships for underprivileged at-risk children, ages 3-14, and for transportation expenses that enabled Swim Central to extend instructional services to 130 elementary schools and four middle schools in and out of Broward County, for a total of 134 schools, thereby educating more than 26,000 children with water safety instruction.

"Barry has been an incredible force in this community for promoting water safety and drowning prevention," said Ron Ishoy, Vice President of the S.W.I.M.S. Foundation.

"Barry's efforts on behalf of water safety cannot be overestimated," said Matt Berman, CEO of Swim Central. "A near drowning victim himself as a child, Barry has been a tireless advocate of water safety programs for children in Broward County and around the world."

"Today's headlines underscore the need to educate both children and parents about water safety," said Wigo, referring to the drowning of a 3 and 4 year old in a local back yard pool on Wednesday. "I also recognize that the International Swimming Hall of Fame's founding mission was to make ‘Every Child a Swimmer' and that ISHOF was involved in the founding of both The S.W.I.M.S. Foundation and Swim Central, so I am honored to continue the work that Barry began."

Wigo has been a member of The S.W.I.M.S. Foundation board since becoming CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2005. Last year, ISHOF helped organize Swim Central's April Pools Day at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Complex, an event that brought more than 1,000 Broward County middle school students to ISHOF for a day of water safety instruction and fun and games. The April Pools Day program will be held again this year on April 11, 2008.

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