Nine people drown every day in the U.S. and the Triangle Aquatic Center, a local non-profit, wants to change that statistic by raising awareness of the importance of water safety. All Triangle-area families are encouraged to become involved in Make a Splash and help kids learn this important life-saving skill.

Make a Splash is the national child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation. The initiative aligns the nation's top learn to swim resources in an effort to raise awareness of water safety and provide opportunities for all children to learn to swim. Curran Aquatic Center, owned and operated by Triangle Aquatic Center, has become a local partner to put the program into action.

The following statistics demonstrate the need for action:

o Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children between the age of one and 14. (Centers for Disease Control, 2003)

o Nine people drown in the United States every day. (CDC)

o Approximately 75% of child drownings occur because of a lapse of adult supervision of less than five minutes.

o Children in the ethnic minority are nearly three-times more likely to drown than their Caucasian peers. (CDC, 2003)

There are many ways to get involved in Make a Splash, from sponsoring a swim lesson for a child who otherwise could not afford it, to purchasing official Make a Splash products at the online store to show your support.

With a grants from BCBS of NC and the Cary Community Foundation to provide free swim lessons, Curran Aquatic Center is actively seeking eligible participants, who are kids from low-income families who qualify for free/reduced lunches at school.

For more information on the Make a Splash initiative, including downloadable water safety materials, visit www.makeasplash.org. To get started locally, visit http://www.triangleaquatics.org or contact Program Manager, Doracy Harrison, to find more information on how to apply or volunteer with this outstanding program.