Several Hundred North Tulsa Children Learn To Swim

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- With this week's high temperatures, a swimming pool is the perfect place to beat the heat. And Tuesday morning at Lacy Park at 2134 North Madison Place, swimming was just what a group of Tulsa kids were doing.

The kids were some of the 200 participants in this year's Red Cross North Tulsa swim program.

The free, three-week program helps teach at-risk kids how to swim and learn about water safety.

"At least 90 percent of this group has not had much access to water and what they have has not been structured access - really kind of open opportunity for them to swim, but by the end of this time, of course they're much more regularly exposed to water," said Kaylene Keener with the Red Cross.

Many of the instructors and aides are graduates of the North Tulsa swim program.

The program has been around since 2000 and the Red Cross says many of these children would not otherwise have the chance to learn to swim.

According to Safe Kids USA, approximately 830 children under age 14 die each year by accidental drowning, while another 3,600 injuries occur with near-drowning incidents.

The North Tulsa Swim program is made possible through a grant from the Hille Foundation.

The Red Cross says the program is full for this year.