SOS Sink or Swim Hits Record Numbers

SOS Sink or Swim provided more than 1,000 free swim lessons in Talbot County this summer.

ST. MICHAELS, Md., Aug. 26, 2022 – In partnership with Talbot County Parks and Recreation, SOS Sink or Swim provided a total of 1,128 free swim lessons this summer.

“We are thrilled so many children and some adults learned such an important life skill this summer,” says SOS Sink or Swim Co-Founder and Council President Elizabeth Moose.

The lessons were taught by trained instructors and offered over several weeks during the summer months at Talbot County's public pools located in Easton and St. Michaels.

These free, “no-questions-asked” swim lessons focus on proper swim instruction, which are known to drastically decrease the likelihood of childhood drowning. As children learn and master various swimming skills, they move into stroke development, and this year, we taught older children the basics of lifeguard training.

Since 2014, SOS Sink or Swim has provided over 6,500 lessons to children and some adults. Through charitable donations and community partner support, the organization is dedicated to ensuring every child on the Eastern Shore has the ability to swim and knows how to be safe in the water.

“Swimming is the only sport that can save lives, and while it’s an essential life skill for all ages, it is critical for all of our children on the Eastern Shore to know how to swim and to be safe in the water,” adds Moose.

A Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine report found that formal swimming lessons reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%. Additionally, a 2017 USA Swimming Foundation study reports 79% of children in households with incomes less than $50,000 have little to no swimming ability.

Because the Chesapeake Bay has more than 3,000 miles of shoreline and 600 miles are located in Talbot County, SOS Sink or Swim’s mission is crucial.

The program is docked at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, which serves as its fiscal sponsor. Lessons are administered by the Talbot County Department of Parks & Recreation. To learn more or to donate to SOS, visit sossinkorswim.org.

Registration opens for SOS free swimming lessons

For the seventh summer, SOS Sink or Swim is providing free swimming lessons at Talbot County’s two outdoor pools, with registration now open at sossinkorswim.org/register. Administered by Talbot County Parks & Recreation, the program offers lessons to children between the ages of 18 months to 18 years, and to a limited number of adults, with participation available on a first-come, first-served basis.

(ST MICHAELS, MD – May 17, 2021) SOS Sink or Swim is pleased to be able to offer free swimming lessons at Talbot County’s two outdoor pools again this summer. These lessons are provided free of charge to all children between the ages of 18 months to 18 years.

This year’s program will again be administered by Talbot County Parks & Recreation, with registration forms now online at sossinkorswim.org/register. Class sizes are limited, and registration will be taken on a first come, first served basis.

Swimming sessions begin June 21 at the Bay Hundred Community Pool in St. Michaels, Md., and the George Murphy Community Pool in Easton, Md. The first registration deadline is June 10, and lessons run Mondays through Thursdays. Jr. Lifeguard Training and adult swim sessions are available the weeks of July 5–8 and Aug. 9–12. The full schedule of swim sessions for 2021 can be found at sossinkorswim.org/swim-schedule.

“These lessons are provided free of charge with no questions asked, and now free adult lessons are also available, thanks to a special grant received from concerned donors,” said SOS President Elizabeth Moose. “Talbot County has more than 600 miles of shoreline, yet many children and their family members don’t have the opportunity to ever get in the water, much less to feel safe and secure when they are close to a pool, a river or the Bay.”

This is the seventh summer SOS is offering these free lessons. Through donations and local support, SOS has provided swimming lessons for more than 5,000 local children since the program started and has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars to support its program.

SOS Sink or Swim is docked at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, with CBMM serving as its fiscal sponsor, and is administered by the Talbot County Department of Parks & Recreation. To learn more, or to donate to SOS, visit sossinkorswim.org, or send your contribution to SOS Sink or Swim, 606A N. Talbot Street, Ste 109, St. Michaels, MD 21663.

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