After a major sponsor pulled out of the upcoming “School Learn to Swim” week carded for 9-13 July, there was talk it would have to be cancelled. Thanks to Peter de Savary and his Mount Cinnamon Resort, the week has been saved.
Expecting 500-700 participants to sign up through their schools or on the website at www.nltswgrenada.com this event is another major milestone in the “Get Grenada Swimming” initiative to teach 8,000 children to swim by 2021. (They are currently at 3,000 children taught towards their goal.)
The Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association (GHTA) also stepped in to contribute money for buses to get the children who couldn’t swim at the beaches near their homes because of the sargassum.
Deb Eastwood, Director of the “Get Grenada Swimming” initiative had this to say. “I am so overwhelmed with gratitude. When we lost our funding several weeks ago, we made a plea and the community has stepped up on very short notice to ensure this week is successful. Mt Cinnamon came through with a $10,000 donation with only a week’s notice. In my prior fundraising efforts, I have never seen anything like it. Petite Anse and Grenada Marine also contributed. Then the “icing on the cake” was the money from GHTA for the buses. The Ministry of Sports has also committed buses. We will be able to teach over 100 children from Grenville (and other locations) and bus them down to La Sagesse for the week. I am so grateful for the Grenada business community which has been a huge support for all our swimming programmes.”
The “School Learn to Swim Week” will start the week after school gets out (9-13 July) at over 10 locations throughout the island. Children get a one-hour lesson each morning and may come 5 days in a row. Almost all children can float and are water safe by the end of 5 days and many of them can swim a bit.
The event is for 6 years and older. For more information contact Deb Eastwood at 404-5237, debeastwood@gmail.com or go to the website at www.nltswgrenada.com
Get Grenada Swimming
