YMCA works to prevent high rate of Oklahoma child drownings
Safety Around Water (S.A.W)
Oklahoma holds nearly 56,000 miles of shoreline along lakes and ponds, encompassing about 1,400 square miles of water area. in a 2016 article, the Oklahoma Water Resource Board reported over 3,000 lakes and ponds in Oklahoma. Now that's a lot of water!
At the Richard Kane YMCA we see building strong skills for youth around water as one of the most important things we can offer our community.
The Y's Safety Around Water program teaches area 2nd graders all the basics for being confident in and around water, at no cost to the students or school. From the months of Jan - May, school children are transported to the Richard Kane YMCA indoor pool during school hours for water instruction from our staff. Throughout their time, students learn skills like how to respond in a water emergency, basic swimming, basic CPR/first aid, and lifejacket and boat safety.
Community Partnership
We are proud to be in partnership with the Bartlesville Regional United Way, which provides funding to help our efforts. Dedicated volunteers and donations from our community make it possible to offer these lessons for free to students.
Thank you for your commitment to our YMCA and to programs like S.A.W. With your support, we will continue supporting our community with programs like these for years to come.
How You Can Help:
Volunteer: Become a part of our volunteer team, ensuring the success of the S.A.W program.
Donate: Your Contributions directly impact our ability to provide Safety Around Water free to area 2nd graders.
Spread the Word: Share our mission with friends, family, and colleagues. Help us create a ripple effect of awareness.
