“It feels great to be in New York, as part of the 50th stop of the ‘Make A Splash’ Tour. It feels like a celebration of many things that we have accomplished in the past but also, really, it’s a journey,” she said.
“We really want to educate people on how important it is for every child in this country to learn to swim,” she said. “We are the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, and as part of USA Swimming, we want everybody to get involved.”
At this two-day “Make A Splash” tour stop in New York, Hesse was joined by such Olympic gold medalist swimmers as Rowdy Gaines, Missy Franklin, Nathan Adrian, Cullen Jones, and Simone Manuel.
One of the USA Swimming Foundation’s statistics is quite staggering. “In 79 percent of households that make less than $50,000, their children have little to no swimming ability,” Hesse said. “So, we want to change that statistic. We raise money to help provide swimming lessons for children. Last year, we provided more than $700,000, in an effort to provide free and reduced swimming lessons for kids around the country.”
Hesse had nothing but the kindest words about the Goldfish Swim School, which is one of the USA Swimming Foundation’s partners. “We love the Goldfish Swim School,” she said. “We are excited that they are a sponsor of our foundation, and we are super excited that they are trying to raise one million dollars by the year 2024. They are wonderful people and we are super excited that Ryan Murphy is an ambassador for their swim schools too.”
In the next five years, Hesse sees the USA Swimming Foundation growing and expanding. “We are starting to see the membership of USA Swimming get more involved with the USA Swimming Foundation by taking the time to educate people and teaching children how to swim,” she said.
“Any time social media gets out there, and our athletes and sponsors are out there posting, we can really make an impact,” she said.
To learn more about the USA Swimming Foundation, check out its official website and its Facebook page.