The World's Largest Swimming Lesson, a worldwide event, took place on Thursday (June 21) at hundreds of locations across the country, including the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center.
The event aimed to promote one trademarked message: swimming lessons save lives. This is because drowning is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. among children ages 1-14.
In fact, this year alone 12 children have drowned in the Tampa Bay area.
The Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center (BSAC) participated in the 30-minute group swim lesson, and helped more than 150 children to better understand water safety and the importance of swimming lessons.
Chuck Burgess, the center's CEO, believes the biggest problem is the unlimited access to water and the lack of education and preparation.
"Families need to be educated post-birth and understand that a child can drown in just an inch of water, so it doesn't take much," Burgess said.
The Tampa Metro YMCA also participated in the event, with more than 100 summer campers receiving a lesson at the Bob Gilbertson Central City Family YMCA.
The YMCA has partnered with BSAC for a free mobile water safety program to provide free mobile swim lessons to children that may not have access or the resources to do so.
"The goal is to eliminate barriers that can prevent parents from getting their kids into water safety or swim classes, and to make an impact in the drowning prevention numbers that we unfortunately see in the community" said Amanda Walker, Tampa Y Aquatics Experience Executive.