Councilwoman Jennifer Gates Visits a YMCA Make A Splash site

Today we kicked off another summer with our Make A Splash Program at the Santa Fe Trails Apartments in Vickery Meadows! Councilwoman Jennifer Staubach Gates joined our President/CEO Gordon Echtenkamp in discussing the importance of drowning prevention and water safety.

Nearly 60 percent of minority children can’t swim and minority children are almost three times more likely to drown,” said Gordon Echtenkamp, President/CEO of the Dallas YMCA. “Safety in and around the water is an important issue for all children, but studies show that there are a disproportionate number of drownings among minority children. The Dallas YMCA is committed to children’s safety and helping parents to understand how critical these skills are to the safety and well-being of their children.”

“I am grateful to the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas for their partnership and efforts in promoting swim safety in not only my district, but throughout the city of Dallas,” said Jennifer Staubach Gates, Dallas City Councilmember. “When you look at the statistics, it’s alarming to see how something seemingly as simple as water safety is not being taught to our children. I applaud the Dallas YMCA for stepping up and making this issue a priority.”

The Make A Splash Program focuses on decreasing the number of swim related fatalities in minority communities by providing lessons for FREE at local apartment complexes.

For more info about our Make A Splash program, please visit: http://bit.ly/1GW8q3a