OVERLAND PARK, Kan., August 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — The 2018 WLSL scored big in its 9and year with the largest event ever recorded with 41,814 participants at 603 venues in 27 countries. Even bigger? The fact that the program delivered the Swimming lessons save lives message over a billion times since its inception in 2010.
“We have been blown away by the support the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ event has received over the past nine years,” said Root of Rick, President of the World Association of Water Parks (WWA). “When we launched the program in 2010, we hoped the aquatic community would rally behind it and the response has been incredible. The fact that WLSL was able to carry the message Swimming lessons save lives over a billion times is a remarkable example of what can be accomplished when an industry works together towards a critical goal.”
This year’s event, which ran for 24 hours on June 21stst, has received support from more than 600 water parks, swim schools, pools, Ys and aquatic facilities, as well as dozens of water safety and drowning prevention organizations. The purpose of the event is to provide children and parents with exposure to vital water safety skills and to raise awareness of the vital importance of learning to swim and having parental vigilance whenever children are in or around water.
According to the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is a major public health problem worldwide, with drowning being the third leading cause of all deaths related to unintentional injuries. In the United States, drowning remains the leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause in children under 14, largely due to lack of basic life skills. water and swimming safety and lack of constant adult supervision. while the children are in the water.
“All of us who work and support the aquatic industry have an opportunity here,” said Aleatha Ezra, Director of Park Membership Development at the WWA. “Together we can work to ensure parents understand the critical importance of swim lessons and distraction-free supervision to keep people safe in and around the water. We know it makes a difference. “
WLSL will mark its 10and birthday on Thursday June 20and2019.
Contact:
Aleatha Ezra
[email protected]
Call: 913-599-0300 ext. 11
SOURCE World Association of Water Parks