YMCA of Long Island joins the Worlds Largest Swimming Lesson

On Friday, June 24, the YMCA of Long Island and Stew Leonard III Children’s Charities are participating in the seventh annual World’s Largest Swimming Lesson to help promote water safety.

Pools across the world will all host swim lessons from 10 a.m. to noon in an effort to set a Guinness World Record for the biggest swim lesson. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom will be joining the United States for this event.

“Kids have a lot of fun at this event, but there is a very serious lesson being taught,” said Anne Brigis, president of the YMCA of Long Island. “Promoting water safety is a top priority at the Y all year, and it goes beyond teaching swim techniques. Aquatic directors at all of our branches teach skills to help swimmers of all levels develop a sense of comfort and security in the water. Participating in this event will help bring much-needed awareness and skills that children and adults need to safely enjoy swimming this summer.”

Currently, the fifth Guinness World Record was set on June 20, 2014 with 36,564 participants from 22 countries, for the most people participating in a swimming lesson at one time, according to a news release. The YMCA of Long Island anticipates that at least 50 local children and swimmers will take part in the event at two local branches, the Huntington YMCA and Great South Bay.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fatal drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14.

For more information, visit ymcali.org or call 855-296-2254.