MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee has been chosen to be part of the Red Cross Centennial Campaign to fund swimming programs in disadvantaged communities that are over the national drowning average, according to our partners at the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
Starting Dec. 10, residents can pay $5 for family, youth and toddler classes through Milwaukee Recreation at the following schools: James Madison High School, North Division High School, Milwaukee High School of the Arts and Vincent High School.
Milwaukee Recreation usually charges $36 for family swim lessons.
Eight out of every 10 kids in a household with an income of less than $50,000 have little or no swimming ability, Milwaukee Recreation Aquatics Supervisor Nicole Jacobson told our partners at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service.
In the U.S., drowning is the cause of 3,500 to 4,000 lives per year, according to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, averaging 10 drownings every day.
