Swimmers for Life, a nonprofit group, raised $11,000 to support the North Suburban YMCA’s swim programs and its “2 Seconds 2 Long” initiative, which teaches young children about drowning prevention.
According to a news release, Swimmers for Life was created by a group of dedicated young adults from the 2014 Deerfield High School swim team to educate others on the importance of swim safety.
The Y’s “2 Seconds 2 Long” initiative has been on hiatus due to the pandemic and is scheduled to begin again in 2023, the release said. Programs like “2 Seconds 2 Long” help make swim safety and lessons accessible for children whose families who otherwise could not afford them.
“The timing of this donation is perfect because it will help us relaunch our 2 second, 2 long program,” Kim Nyren, Director of Community Investment at the NSYMCA, said in the release. “This important initiative includes visiting elementary schools in our 15 service areas with a swim safety assembly and swim tests for children ages 7 and up at no cost. This program has already saved many lives over the years and we are very proud of it.”
The donation continues a partnership between the Y and the group who launched Swimmers for Life while still in high school to promote water safety for children, according to the release. The Swimmers for Life founders, 25-year-old Lauren Kurzydlo and 24-year-old Grace Frankel were inspired to create Swimmers for Life when they were teammates at Deerfield High School.
They share a lifelong love of swimming and feel that all children should have the opportunity to enjoy the water safely, the release said. Stunned by statistics that show accidental drowning to be the second leading cause of death among children, the swimmers decided to work with the NSYMCA to support swim lesson scholarships and the “2 Seconds 2 Long” program.
The current Swimmers for Life team includes Lily Kurzydlo, 22; Anna Kurzydlo, 20; Jane Frankel, 21; Arthur Frankel, 21; and Zuzanna Janusz, 17; along with founders Lauren Kurzydlo and Grace Frankel.
“Our mission at Swimmers for Life is to provide swim lessons for children without the financial means to do so on their own, and to share water safety around our community,” Lily Kurzydlo, a recent graduate from Northwestern University, said in a statement. “We have been working with the North Suburban YMCA for over 8 years and are grateful to work with people who are passionate about water safety, swim lessons, and giving back to our community.”
The latest donation will enable more children to participate in the “2 Seconds 2 Long” program, help fund swim lessons for those children unable to pay, and provide assistance for the YMCA’s Flying Turtles Swim Team for youth with special needs, the release said. The group connected with their community for donations through a GoFundMe page, community outreach, and establishing relationships with other nonprofits who believes in the mission of water safety awareness.
“We are so grateful for the generous donation made by Swimmers for Life. Their safety mission of preventing childhood drownings help provide life-changing experiences for those who would otherwise be at risk,” Kathy Fielding, CEO of the North Suburban YMCA, said. “Young adults like them who are passionate about a certain cause strengthens our Y in ways that you can’t even imagine, and we are proud to have them as our supporters.”
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For more information about the North Suburban YMCA and its Aquatics Programs, visit nsymca.org.