Hawaii Rep. Mark Takai, a registered member of U.S. Masters Swimming, is pushing a resolution through the U.S. House of Representatives this week that seeks to name April as National Learn-To-Swim Month.<\/p>\n
The effort comes with the statistic that about 10 people drown every day in the United States, and that 50 percent or more of minorities do not know how to swim. U.S. Masters Swimming has stated that 37 percent of adults do not know how to swim the length of a 25-yard pool.<\/p>\n
The resolution submitted by Takai last Wednesday reads as follows:<\/p>\n
Expressing support for designation of April 2015 as \u201cNational Learn to Swim Month\u201d.<\/p>\n
Whereas U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that represents 60,000 USMS adult members who swim with its more than 1,000 local adult swim programs across the country; <\/p>\n
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 37 percent of adults and 21 percent of children in the United States could not save themselves if they fell in water over their heads; <\/p>\n
Whereas with the inability to swim affecting people\u2019s lives in a broad spectrum of ways with direct negative implications on quality of life; <\/p>\n
Whereas drowning is a problem we can solve, teaching adults to swim is the central cause of the Swimming Saves Lives Foundation, the charitable arm of USMS, and its foundation partners; <\/p>\n
Whereas the Swimming Saves Lives Foundation makes available grants and resources to swimming programs in the United States so that they may teach potentially hundreds of adults who might not otherwise have the opportunity; <\/p>\n
Whereas the grants and resources are privately provided by the charitable and generous contributions of 60,000 USMS members and supporters; <\/p>\n
Whereas April is the ideal month for this designation as pools and other bodies of water open for the spring and summer seasons; and <\/p>\n
Whereas nationally, April is being recognized as Learn to Swim Month, and with the help of State governments throughout the Nation highlighting this lifesaving effort, the commendable goal of making water available for fun, fitness and health to our fellow non-swimming neighbors can be attained: Now, therefore, be it <\/p>\n
Resolved<\/i>, That the House of Representatives supports the designation of \u201cNational Learn to Swim Month\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The resolution is set to face the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform this week, with the hope that the resolution passes a House vote by the end of the month. The resolution has received automated letters of support from nearly 1,000 members of U.S. Masters Swimming via a website created on Friday<\/a>. Support was overwhelming in the first five minutes, said USMS Executive Director Rob Butcher, as 220 people sent automated emails to their representatives in the first five minutes.<\/p>\n
U.S. Masters Swimming created a similar proclamation, with April designated as Adult Learn-To-Swim Month. The organization produced a public service announcement featuring Olympic gold medalist Misty Hyman as the spokesperson behind the effort.<\/p>\n