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DFC Hosts “Life Changing” Water Safety Program

The Duke Faculty Club had the honor of working with the Swim For Charlie organization and Hillendale Elementary School for two weeks this September, sharing pool time, volunteers and lifeguards for a very worthwhile cause. The mission of this local organization is to “equip children with life-saving water safety skills by providing a high-quality water safety program to second grade North Carolina students.” They partner with elementary schools and area aquatic centers to transport second graders during the school day for 45 minutes of water safety and swimming instruction. Some students have very little to no exposure to the water beforehand. By the end of the 8 sessions, most have become comfortable and confident enough to jump in the deep end wearing a life vest and swim on their back to the other side. They also get to enjoy the diving boards and slide at the end of the program. Jonathan Klein, the President and Board Chair of Swim For Charlie, declared that “the entire Hillandale community really stepped up to make this first year for the program run so smoothly. For many of these students, this was a life changing experience.”

DFC recruited members and SFC trained the twenty volunteers to help with this effort and everyone walked away with a strong sense of accomplishment and pride in their students.

De’Costo Lawson, Family Engagement for Durham Public Schools, proudly stated that he “saw students literally grow up before my eyes by stepping out of their comfort zones, building confidence within themselves from hearing encouraging and empowering words from SFC Coaches. I'm also proud of our SFC coaches/volunteers. They too stepped out of a comfort zone to ensure the safety of our students but also building a rapport that will last a lifetime. Words cannot express the gratitude we as a Hillandale staff have towards the Duke Faculty Club and Swim For Charlie staff.”

The club is looking forward to continuing this relationship with future events and programming.