This past May, the International
Swimming Hall of Fame and Every
Child A Swimmer hosted a VIP event
where guests enjoyed a complimentary
dinner with drinks and music,
meaningful presentations and a first-class
diving show. The event, which
took place in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,
was hosted by Casey McGovern, the
program manager for Every Child
A Swimmer, an organization that
provides Learn to Swim scholarships
to children who can’t afford swimming
lessons.
“I’ve always wanted to have a gala
type of event where we could share who
we are, our story and our mission, but
with too many moving parts, it’s never
happened,” says McGovern. “That
changed after I was introduced to Ellie
Smart, a Red Bull sponsored diver. With
her help, we put my dream into action
by planning this event to thank anyone
who has ever supported Every Child A
Swimmer in any capacity.”
Attendees were treated to gift bags
that contained educational information,
a candle and a copy of the popular
children’s book “Starfish,” which
McGovern shared resonates with her
mission. “To summarize, an older
gentleman encounters a young girl
throwing starfish back into the ocean;
the beach is miles long and filled with
thousands of starfish. She says, ‘If I
don’t put them back into the water, they will die.’ He laughs, and says, ‘There is
no use, as you will never save them all
in time.’ She throws the next one in and
says, ‘But I made a difference to this
one, and every other one I do reach in
time.’
“This story symbolizes what Every
Child a Swimmer is doing — we
are making a difference. With every
scholarship recipient who learns how to
swim, we are saving children’s lives —
one at a time, too.”
McGovern also asked everyone in
attendance to stand with their candles,
a total of 97 candles, and revealed each
one represented a Floridian life lost to
drowning in 2024 alone. “The candles
burning out were symbols of lives
lost,” she says. “It puts a vivid picture
as to why drowning prevention is so
important.”
The International Swimming Hall
of Fame then shared its goals for the
future, and a diving competition closed
out the event.
The importance of community was
felt all throughout the evening. “It
takes a large village to make a small
difference,” says McGovern. “Without
the people in attendance, there would
be no donations. The goal was to leave
them with an even deeper call to action
to help prevent child drownings in an
even greater capacity. I left that night
with a very full, grateful heart, and
an even greater fire in my belly to do
more.”
