Rowdy Gaines, a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Pool and Hot Tub Alliance’s (PHTA) Step Into Swim spokesperson, presented Float Like A Duck and City of Las Vegas a $8,000 Step Into Swim Grant at the Municipal Indoor Pool in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Paragon Pools, a PHTA member and the creator of the award-winning water-safety initiative Float Like Duck, petitions the grant every year in order to fulfill its mission to “educate the public about the importance of water safety while celebrating water sports’ joys.” They then find qualified aquatic programs to provide the free swimming lessons. The grant funds are used to fund the entire program.
Joseph M. Vassallo is the president of Paragon Pools and founder of Float Like A Duck. He says, “The City of Las Vegas was a Water Safety Partner of Float Like A Duck since 2003.” “At Float Like A Duck’s 20th Anniversary, we wanted them to know that they were appreciated by presenting the grant for free swimming lessons to disadvantaged youths within the Las Vegas area.”
The grant was accepted by the following representatives of Paragon Pools/Float like a Duck: Joseph M Vassallo, VP Joey Vassallo, Ward 3 Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs – Recreation Supervisor Savonta Manor, and Lifeguard/WSI Gabriel Mendoza.
The first summer swimming season in 2023 saw a $3,000 grant for free lessons. Over 100 children were served. Gaines, after reviewing the report for 2023, was so impressed by the success of this program that he committed a $5,000 Step Into Swim Grant for the season of 2024. The $8,000 grant check is the total of the $3,000 grant for 2023 and the $5,000 grant for 2024.
Gaines was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame twice. He is known as “The Voice of Swimming”, for his commentary of Olympic swimming events. He stressed the importance of teaching kids to swim. He noted that formal swimming lessons reduce the drowning risk by 90%. Gaines brought along one of his Gold Medals won at the 1984 LA Olympic Games for attendees to see up close.
The Vassallo family credits the efforts of Councilwoman Victoria Seaman from Ward 2 and Councilwoman Olivia Diaz from Ward 3 for their strategic role in the coordination of the program with City Park and Rec Aquatic division. Seaman and Diaz collaborated with Recreation Supervisor Savonta Manor in order to identify the greatest needs in the community. This included the Municipal Pool as well as the Baker Pool, which is located in Diaz Ward 3.
Ward 2 Councilwoman Victoria Seaman says, “Security is our number one priority in the city of Las Vegas. During the hot summer months we want everyone to hear about pool safety loudly.” “I would like to thank Paragon Pools/Float Like A Duck for their generous donation that will go towards providing free swim lessons to city residents.”
Olivia Diaz, Ward 3 Councilwoman, says, “There’s nothing better than a cool dip in the pool on a hot day in Las Vegas, but we also want to make sure that our family, friends and children are safe while they enjoy themselves.” We are able, thanks to community partners such as Paragon Pools/Float Like a Duck, to offer free swim lessons to everyone and make summer swimming safer.
Vassallo says that the Step Into Swim Grant is important for our community. Southern Nevada is known as a place with many water bodies, and many children don’t have regular access to them. The grant will provide additional financial assistance to allow more families to take advantage of the City’s swim programs in order to learn to swim and to be safe around water.
