Hundreds Of Kids Prepare To Compete In LA84 Foundation Summer Swim Festival Saturday, August 10

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As summer winds down for school-age children across Los Angeles, the LA84 Foundation is hosting a massive swim meet for hundreds of novice swimmers at its Summer Swim Festival this weekend. On Saturday, August 10, over 900 children will congregate at the Expo Center to compete in free style, back stroke, the butterfly and breast stroke and celebrate the culmination of LA84's 2013 Summer Swim Program.

Now in its 28th year, the LA84 Summer Swim Program reaches more children than it ever has before through its partnership with 14 different Southern California municipalities. Funding is used to support basic instruction and competitive opportunities in swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming. The program reaches 15,000 children between the age of 7 and 17 at 106 pools across Southern California.

The Summer Swim Festival is part of LA84 Foundation's efforts to promote swim safety. The statistics are staggering – 70% of African American children and 60% of Latino children cannot swim, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 10 people drown every day in the United States. Participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the likelihood of drowning by 88%, according to a study by Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The LA84 Foundation, endowed with surplus funds from the 1984 Olympic Games, has provided over $400,000 in grants to fund swim lessons and organized sports in public pools in 14 different local municipalities, which will help reach 15,000 children across the region.

SOURCE LA84 Foundation