	August 8th, 2011
	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
	Media Contact: Barrett Wainscott III
	Phone: (262) 549-SWIM (7946)
	Email: BWainscott@Swimtastic.com

SWIMTASTIC SWIM SCHOOL initiates push for water safety

- Striving to save lives and halt alarming drowning statistics -

August 8^th, 2011 - Swimtastic Swim School, a unique program offering professional swim lessons to children and adults, aims to increase awareness of alarming drowning statistics. As roughly 10 people pass away every day from unintentional drowning³, Swimtastic can no longer stand by and mildly relay this information as the topic comes up. "We need to take action and inform the public about how common child drowning really is. It's not an issue to take lightly, and we want to do our part in at least informing as many people as possible about the real dangers of the water," said Susan Wainscott, Founder and CEO of the Waukesha, Wis.-based chain.

For children ages 1-4, drowning is the leading cause of death due to unintentional injury². Behind car accidents¹, drowning comes in 2^nd for ages 1-14, and ranks 5^th for all ages within the United States.²

In the U.S., the number of deaths due to non-boating related drownings each year is equal to over 7 full elementary schools. Seven!

"Quite frankly, we feel these numbers are unacceptable. As a swim school, our primary goal is to substantially reduce the number of drownings through water safety education. At Swimtastic, we strive to teach as many children as we can water safety, which could save a child, or even an adult's life when least expected. Water safety is incorporated into every one of our lessons; through consistent growth and development within swim lessons children learn how to be responsible and make smart, life-saving decisions while interacting around water," said Barrett Wainscott, President of Swimtastic Corporation.

Swim Lessons are essential in providing children with the proper protection against the dangers of water. In addition to lessons, other key items must be taken into consideration when planning for safety around pools or bodies of water. These items include fencing or walls surrounding the pools, proper supervision at all times, incorporating the buddy system, and much more.

Including water safety in every lesson is critical of course, but Swimtastic even takes it a step further. Throughout local schools and daycares, their "Bubbles and Splash" puppet show expands the reach of water safety education to the community. Using kid-friendly humor and upbeat music, children are taught about water safety rules in a fun and entertaining way. They love the catchy slogans such as "be cool and follow the rules". Without knowing, these children are learning critical life skills to protect them when around water.

Each Swimtastic Swim School is designed to provide an inviting learning atmosphere, particularly for young children. Warm water at a comfortable 90 degrees, a fun palm tree shower and water slide are all part of Swimtastic's formula for fun and safety. Highly professional teachers, a proprietary curriculum and small classes round out the school's advantages over other recreation programs. Each year, thousands of children and adults learn to swim at Swimtastic and learn life-saving swim skills. Water safety education in combination with developing swim skills is vital in taking precautions against the dangers of water.

Please help us fight unintentional drownings in our children- do not let them become a part of these alarming and unfortunate statistics. As a parent, as a grandparent, as a neighbor, as a teacher, and as a swim school, help us save a life today. Don't ignore the numbers, it's time to take action and protect the children of our future. Be a part of something extraordinary- save a life.

References

1. High risk fact sheet. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.safekids.org/our-work/research/fact-sheets/high-risk-fact-safety.html

2. Layers of protection. (2009, January 21). Retrieved from http://ndpa.org/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8:layers-of-protection&catid=13&Itemid=18

3. Unintentional drowning: fact sheet. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html

4. Digest of education statistics. (2010, November). Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_098.asp

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