Goldfish Swim School Kicks Off Month-Long Chain of Virtual Activities to Bring Awareness to Drowning Prevention

TROY, Mich., May 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Even during these unprecedented times, drowning prevention remains a top priority, as more than 70 percent of childhood drowning incidents occur at home. This is why Goldfish Swim School, the leading premier learn-to-swim franchise concept, is kicking off National Water Safety Month (May) with the launch of 'Goldfish At Home' to provide free, virtual dry-land swim lessons to families nationwide, along with a variety of online and interactive water-safety focused initiatives and activities. Goldfish aims to make a splash by virtually uniting communities across the globe while spreading the important message of water safety awareness. 

With the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) citing swim lessons as a beneficial way to help lower drowning rates among children, Goldfish Swim School remains determined not to let the pandemic prevent its ability to provide important swim lesson exercises and activities. 'Goldfish At Home' is designed to teach important water safety skills, develop confidence with swimming techniques, maintain momentum on progress made at lessons, and help kids stay active while learning something new. To access 'Goldfish At Home,' members and non-members alike can simply visit the Goldfish Swim School YouTube page and choose the level that matches their child's age and progress. 

As drowning remains the number one cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4, taking the lives of three children in the United States every day, Goldfish Swim School remains committed to making a positive impact to help lower these staggering statistics. With the support of franchise owners across the system, brand ambassador and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Murphy, and Founder of Water Guardians: Levi's Legacy - Nicole Hughes, the brand is rolling out a variety of fun and engaging virtual initiatives that bring communities together in the name of water safety awareness. 

• Virtual Storytime With Bubbles – On Wednesday, May 13, at 12 p.m. ET, Goldfish Swim School brand mascot Bubbles will be hosting a special story-time reading via Facebook Live, premiering his newly animated book while sharing how he learned to swim. 
• Waves for Water Safety – On International Water Safety Day, May 15, Goldfish Swim School is challenging its social media followers and beyond to update their Facebook and Instagram profile pictures to reflect Water Safety Waves to bring greater awareness to the importance of water safety and drowning prevention. 
• Live Water Safety Q&A – Hosted via Goldfish Swim School's Instagram Live on Wednesday, May 20 at 12 p.m. ET, Goldfish Swim School Co-Founder Jenny McCuiston, and Nicole Hughes, who tragically lost her son Levi to a drowning incident in 2018, will join forces to provide parents and their children water safety education. Those who tune-in will have the chance to ask real-time questions and hear from two mothers who have dedicated their lives to water safety.
• 'Recess with Ryan' – Every Monday at 3 p.m. ET, three-time Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist Ryan Murphy is hosting an interactive social media series via Facebook Live where kids can participate in a water safety exercise challenge while Murphy provides inspiration, answers real-time questions, and virtually interacts with families across the nation. Those who participate and complete the exercise challenge are entered to win prizes from Goldfish Swim School, the USA Swimming Foundation and more! 

"Even while our schools are closed, we know there is still so much we can do to ensure more children learn the importance of water safety," said Chris McCuiston, CEO & Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School. "As stay-at-home orders continue to extend and social distancing becomes the new norm, we have been working to debut creative ways to connect our communities and stay true to our mission of educating children on water safety while teaching them how to be safer in and around the water. It is our hope all these virtual initiatives help make a true impact."

To help families adjust to new lifestyles amid the pandemic, Goldfish Swim School has rolled out various at-home activities, like coloring sheets and memory games, for parents to download and enjoy with their kids, along with fun play-time ideas such as practicing swim technique in the bathtub. Additionally, with the majority of school districts having adjusted to virtual platforms, Goldfish Swim School is now offering its free W.A.T.E.R. Safety Presentations virtually. 

Traditionally during National Water Safety Month, Goldfish Swim School launches its annual 'Float It Forward' campaign that encourages its network of 100+ schools to execute fundraising initiatives in their local communities, such as donation-based family swims, raffles, competitions, donation drives and more to aid in its commitment to raise $1 million for the USA Swimming Foundation's Make a Splash initiative. While community giveback remains a top priority, Goldfish owners and team members have been stepping up to support their communities amid COVID-19 by donating snacks and drinks to local hospitals, sewing facemasks for the community, launching fundraising efforts such as 'Swimming for Superheroes' to honor healthcare workers, and more. 

For more information on Goldfish Swim School, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/.

About Goldfish Swim School 
Founded by husband and wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay®. Goldfish currently teaches more than 138,000 students per week to swim and be safer in and around the water. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500® ranking, Franchise Times' 2020 Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's 2019 Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with more than 100 schools open, and an additional 100+ in development in more than 34 states and Canada.

Media Contact: Kelly McNamara, Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300, [email protected]

SOURCE Goldfish Swim School

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