From the Edge of the Pool to Back Floats: One Wave Family's Story

For one Wave Swim School family, the wake-up call came on a summer dock.

Their oldest son had never taken swim lessons. As he got older, his parents watched his friends jump off a lakeside dock without a second thought, and watched him try to keep up. "Like most kids, even though he couldn't swim fully, he thought he was completely fine jumping off the dock," one parent told us. "We've had some near misses and scary situations."

In the Pacific Northwest, kids grow up around water. Lakes, beaches and docks are part of childhood here. Knowing how to swim is how kids stay safe while they enjoy it. So when the family's younger daughters were old enough for lessons, their parents wanted them to start early.

But with a houseful of young kids, lessons were out of reach. "The prices in the area were completely out of budget," the parent said. Without help, the plan was to teach the kids themselves in the lake during the few warm months of the year.

Then they reached out to Wave's Financial Assistance Fund. "Having that dream met was such a blessing," the parent said, "and gave me such peace of mind."

Today the girls take lessons at Juanita Aquatics Center, where the individual attention has made all the difference. "The instructors really care about the kids," their parent said, "and teach them things that we could not."

The change has been easy to see. "I've watched them go from not wanting to get into the water to doing back floats, and I couldn't be more proud." One daughter in particular isn't usually the bravest or most confident kid. "In the water, I watch her evolve into something that is truly remarkable." Her parent hopes she might join the swim team one day and find something that's all her own.

Asked what they'd say to someone thinking about donating, the parent didn't hesitate:

"This support meant the world for us. It gives parents peace of mind and potentially could save lives. It's so important that every child be given the opportunity to learn to swim, so they are safe and can also experience the love of being a child in the water."

Stories like this one happen at our pools every week, and your gift can write the next one. $280 covers eight weeks of swim lessons for a child whose family couldn't otherwise afford them. Give today at www.waveaquatics.org/thegiftofswimming.