Generous Hearts

Swimming Pools and Swimming Schools

by Susan Bonnett Bourgeois

“I WAS PULLED from a swimming pool in New Orleans when I was eight years old. It was a neighborhood party and kids were everywhere. I was fortunate enough to be seen at the bottom of the pool by a neighbor that pulled me out, unconscious. I do remember gaining consciousness and choking up water. Although it was a day I will never forget, I had not registered the significance of that moment until I stepped into my position here at the Y. If that neighbor had not seen me, I would have been a statistic in the 1983 Louisiana drowning reports,” said Joey Roberts, Executive Director, West St. Tammany YMCA.

Drowning is a leading cause of death for young children. There are nearly 11 drowning deaths every day in this country and for every child who dies from drowning, another eight receive emergency department care for non-fatal drownings.

Missions Connecting

Having historically been focused on safety within the organization, in 2021, POOLCORP, the world’s largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies extended its focus on safety outside the company by partnering with the YMCA of Greater New Orleans. Funding lifeguard training and Safety Around Water (SAW) lessons for children who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to learn basic water safety skills was a logical way for the company to give back to its community.

A young Joey Roberts in the backyard he nearly drowned in.

POOLCORP Vice President and Chief Marketing officer Donna Williams notes simply that swimming is a crucial life skill, “It’s considered the hundredyear gift. People that learn to swim, also have children that learn to swim. It’s a sport that can be enjoyed by all – from toddlers to senior citizens.” POOLCORP is proud to have been headquartered in St. Tammany Parish for nearly 30 years, and the local program has been so successful that POOLCORP is expanding it to other areas of the country in 2022. “Since we’re surrounded by water in Louisiana, we were pleased that this opportunity allowed us to come into the community where we live and work to teach water safety skills to more than 1500 local kids who might never have been given the chance,” says Rachael Jonas, the YMCA’s Aquatics Director for the region, noting that the company’s donation means that no child gets left behind. “That’s what the YMCA is built on. In our mission statement, we say, ‘for all’ and we really mean that.”

In addition to the monetary donation, POOLCORP employees pitched in by donating swimsuits, towels, goggles, and other equipment to remove any barriers that could keep children from being able to take part in the lessons. “We sometimes take for granted that every kid has a swimsuit or every kid’s got a towel – but they don’t.” says Gordon Wadge, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater New Orleans. “Why would they need one if you’ve never had the chance to be in the water before? So, thank you to the POOLCORP team members for arranging that too. It’s not just the financial backing, it’s the personal involvement of the POOLCORP staff that’s meant a lot to us.”

Committed to Saving Lives

In 1909, YMCA’s across the country introduced an initiative to help people learn how to swim. Over 100 years later, they are still delivering on that promise and saving lives. Because of this collaboration with POOLCORP, there are 1000s of children that will now get swim lessons that would have normally either never been given the opportunity or could not afford it.

“There are a ton of reasons why I didn’t know how to swim that summer, including access to and money for swim lessons, and with little opportunity to be in a pool, it wasn’t a priority for my family. Today, the one take-away from that incident is, regardless of any family’s financial situation, every child should have the chance to be more confident and competent in the water,” said Joey. “This POOLCORP initiative speaks volumes to what it means to “Help Others.” Thanks to their generosity, a parent that may have received a call about a drowning incident involving their child will NEVER have to receive that call. That’s an AMAZING thought and is the very reason that I love my job. POOLCORP is literally saving lives through their generosity.” Both POOLCORP and the West St. Tammany YMCA are members of the Northshore Community Foundation.