Step Into Swim, an initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) dedicated to creating more swimmers through safe swim education, is pleased to announce that Heritage Pool Supply Group and its Heritage Cares Foundation has generously donated $100,000 to the program. Heritage Cares hosted a charity concert at The Pool & Spa Show powered by the Northeast Spa & Pool Association in Atlantic City, N.J., last month, with Step Into Swim being one of four nonprofits supported.
“In 2024, Heritage Pool Supply Group became our biggest champion at Step Into Swim. Their generous donation last year provided lifesaving swim lessons for 8,000 children, and we are so thankful to be able to positively impact even more lives in 2025 thanks to their continued support,” says Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines, PHTA Vice President of Partnerships & Development, who leads the Step Into Swim initiative. “I am so incredibly grateful to Matt McDermott and the entire Heritage team for their tireless work in helping us fulfill our mission. They are truly a positive force in the industry—and beyond!”
Heritage Cares believes in leveraging the strength of its network to make a meaningful impact in the communities Heritage Pool Supply Group serves. Since 2021, Heritage Cares has selected Step Into Swim as one of the causes for its annual charity concert series, helping to raise even more awareness within the pool, spa, and hot tub industry about the importance of water safety and drowning prevention.
“The swimming pool industry is blessed to have both PHTA and Rowdy Gaines leading the charge on such an important initiative,” says Matt McDermott, President of Heritage Pool Supply Group, who currently serves as PHTA Board Treasurer. “We are proud of our growing partnership with Step Into Swim and look forward to giving back even more in the many years to come. Every life is worth saving and the work that Rowdy and team are doing is exceptional.”
Step Into Swim and its supporters provide the lifesaving skill of learning to swim and raise awareness of the pool and hot tub industry’s role in improving public health and safety. In 2024, Step Into Swim raised over $1.2 million, which provided grants across 43 states, Canada, Grand Cayman, and American Samoa and funded swim lessons for over 30,000 children. The initiative has gifted more than 400,000 swim lessons since 2012. Step Into Swim is funded through partner contributions, which are integral for advancing the mission. Every dollar donated goes directly to learn-to-swim programming. To learn more, visit www.stepintoswim.com.
