MEDIA ADVISORY: Phoenix to Participate in World's Largest Swimming Lesson™

Leslie's-Sponsored Event Includes Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones Leading Lessons

Who: Tens of thousands of children around the globe are participating in the 14th annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson to help beat drowning -- the single leading cause of death among children ages 1-4. Olympic gold medalist and water safety advocate, Cullen Jones, and about 80 local Phoenix-based children and families will be on site at the Southwest Valley Family YMCA in Goodyear, Arizona, which is the Phoenix metro location of this global learn-to-swim event.

What: The World's Largest Swimming Lesson will take place over the course of 24 hours, June 22, where more than 40,000 children at 600-plus aquatic centers, swim schools, water parks and swimming pools on 6 continents and in 15 countries will participate in swimming lessons.

Where: Southwest Valley Family YMCA
2919 Litchfield Rd.
Goodyear, Arizona, 85395

When: 9-12 a.m. Thursday, June 22, 2023
9 a.m.: Media check-in
9:30 a.m.: Kick-off remarks by Cullen Jones
9:30 – 12 noon: Swim lessons including in-pool and dryland

Why:

• The World's Largest Swimming Lesson was created to send the message that Swimming Lessons Save Lives™.
• Tragically, drowning is the single leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 in the U.S. and the third-leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide.
• Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning for kids ages 1-4 by 88%.
• Phoenix-based Leslie's, the leading pool care brand in the U.S., is committed to water safety and learn-to-swim programs and is sponsor of the Phoenix event.
• Since its inception, more than 354,000 children and adults have participated in the World's Largest Swimming Lessons.
• Timing is critical -- the summer swim season is underway, with June 21 being the official first day of summer.
• June and July are among the deadliest months for drowning deaths in the U.S., especially among children.

Photo Opportunity/Interviews:

• Olympic gold medalist and Leslie's water safety partner, Cullen Jones, will lead in-pool and dryland lessons and be available for interviews on the three tenets of water safety: encouraging swimming lessons and water safety education, maintaining healthy and safe water and ensuring a secure pool area. Jones nearly drowned at age five at a water park in Pennsylvania and can share his personal story.
• Impactful visuals of local children participating in the World's Largest Swimming Lesson event right here in the Phoenix metro. These local kids will join more than 40,000 others across the 24-hour period in learning to swim.

About Leslie's Support:
Phoenix-based Leslie's is the largest and most-trusted direct-to-consumer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry. The Phoenix location of this global event is sponsored by Leslie's and is one of 600-plus locations participating in the World's Largest Swimming Lesson.  

A priority at Leslie's is to spread awareness of three tenets of pool safety: encouraging swimming lessons and water safety education, maintaining healthy and safe water and ensuring a secure pool area.  To learn more about pool safety, click here.

Leslie's is proud to support this event and the ongoing water safety efforts of the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. May 5 - October 31, 2023, Leslie's is accepting customer donations in all their more than 1,000 stores across the nation and online to support water safety programs. To benefit our communities, 100% of all donations will be split equally between the YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, both sharing Leslie's commitment to water safety. Leslie's and its customers have contributed more than $500,000 to these two nonprofit organizations.

About Cullen Jones:
For several years, Leslie's has partnered with Cullen Jones as its voice of water safety, especially during May, Water Safety Month, and across the entire swim season. Jones is a four-time Olympic medalist and the first African American swimmer to hold a world record. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Jones swam on the legendary world-record setting 4x100 freestyle relay team. He also nearly drowned at age five in a water park in Pennsylvania, and after that incident his mother enrolled him in swim lessons, and it soon became clear that Jones had natural talent as a swimmer. He dedicates a significant portion of his time to his role as a water safety advocate.

Media Contact: Mardi Larson, 612.384.4383, [email protected]

/PRNewswire -- June 20, 2023/

SOURCE Leslie’s