FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2019 
Contact: Hilary Holdinghausen, marketing@thehubmarion.com or (618) 997-2HUB
The HUB Receives Nearly $5,000 in Grant Funding From USA Swimming Foundation for 2019
Grant will provide 150 children with free swim lessons
[MARION, IL] – The HUB Recreation Center was recently chosen as one of 85 Make a Splash programs in the United States to receive grant money from the USA Swimming Foundation. The Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative is a national child-focused water safety campaign which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim.
For the second year in a row, The HUB is honored and thrilled to be chosen as a Make a Splash grant recipient. We have been awarded $4,900 which will allow us to provide swim lessons at no cost to 150 children right here in our community; that’s 50 more children than we were able to serve with the grant last year. “I am excited that we can build upon that program structure and their positive experiences and invite some back this year and reach out to even more with the increased grant funding,” said General Manager Chris Georgantas. “We look forward to partnering with additional organizations in our community for the children in our area,” he added.
“It was an absolute blessing to be able to serve so many families with our Make-a-Splash swim lesson program last year,” said Aquatics Coordinator Jared King. “The positivity from the group we were able to work with made our facility a better place and our staff better and more driven instructors,” he explained regarding the impact on our staff. “Drowning is a real fear for young children in our area; with the access to strip pits, lakes, home pools, and many un-monitored areas, it is a real concern that ALL children in our area need to have at least some ability to swim in order to protect themselves. If we save even one life from a drowning emergency, it will make all of the time and effort put into this program worthwhile,” King insisted.
Now that we have a year of experience with the grant program under our belt, we are happy to announce we have opened our grant swim lessons to the general public. Anyone interested in applying for free swim lessons can fill out an application and registration form for The HUB Scholarship Program at the front desk (see printable links below) and must provide documentation of financial hardship along with the application.
To date, 7.5 million children have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through the USA Swimming Foundation Make a Splash Local Partner network. To learn more, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org/makeasplash.
For a list of 2019 USA Swimming Foundation grant recipients, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org.
MAKE A SPLASH SWIM LESSON PROGRAM INFORMATION
EVERY THURSDAY OCTOBER 3 – DECEMBER 5 (Off Halloween and Thanksgiving)
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Ages 18 & Under Welcome to Apply
To print the application and registration form (both required) for free swim lessons at The HUB Recreation Center, please click Swim Grant Scholarship Application and MAS Registration Form.
*Children selected will be contacted within two weeks of applying.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Thursday, September 26th (first come, first serve)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE USA SWIMMING FOUNDATION’S MAKE A SPLASH INITIATIVE
The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative is a national child-focused water safety campaign, which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim. Through Make a Splash, the USA Swimming Foundation partners with learn-to-swim providers and water safety advocates across the country to provide swimming lessons and educate children and their families on the importance of learning how to swim.
The USA Swimming Foundation has invested millions of dollars to provide grants to qualified Local Partner learn-to-swim programs, to spread national awareness, and to bring together strategic partners to end drowning.
