Soave Community Participates in World’s Largest Swimming Lesson Soave’s master-planned community Brambleton participated with other Virginia county pools in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson to raise awareness about a leading cause of accident deaths in children 1-5. The official worldwide number of participants is not yet known, but 50 Ashburn swimmers at the Brambleton Sport & Health Club (created by Soave Enterprises) participated in a coordinated attempt to break a Guinness World Record for The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, or WLSL. Going for the Record The event was organized in Overalnd Park, Kansas and more than 30,000 kids are anticipated to splash their way to the record. It is also a way for the Soave community and others to help raise awareness that drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental deaths in children ages 1-5, as reported by the Center for Disease Control. According to the WLSL, research shows swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent for children ages 1-4. “Parents understand how important it is to protect kids by using car seats and requiring bike helmets,” said Rowdy Gaines, Olympic gold medalist and official spokesman for the event. “Someday, we hope the same will hold true for teaching kids to swim.” Gaines and gold medalist Janet Evans hope WLSL can convey to the general public that lives can be saved through awareness and training. As parents, both athletes feel a strong commitment to teaching children how to be safer in and around the water. More than 500 aquatic facilities representing 25 different countries on five continents and 46 states in the United States registered to participate, including Soave’s Sport & Health. “We’re looking forward to integrating our community,” said Mindy Pierce, director of programming with Sport & Health. Pierce said she learned about the event online and registered. Four instructors were on hand at the facility’s two pools: Alli Hurst, Molly Booth, Michelle DePasquale and Susan Pettit. The event grows each year. In 2011, more than 20,000 swimmers participated in 13 countries, which was a 400 percent increase over the previous year, which established the record. Supporting the Community at Soave Enterprises Anthony Soave is dedicated to providing programs and fundraisers that support local community and awareness programs. Anthony Soave believes it is important to offer service and support for the community to help build a better future for everyone. From
participating in the World’s Largest Swim Lesson to hosting book or food drives, supporting local 5K races, youth education programs, and partnering with charitable organizations across the country, Soave Enterprises is dedicated to giving back in a variety of ways by enabling others with the knowledge and resources they require to be successful. Soave Enterprises employees are encouraged to take an innovative approach to supporting programs and initiatives around them so the company can continually improve their impact upon the local community together. About Soave Enterprises Soave Enterprises is a diversified management and investment company founded by Detroit businessman Anthony Soave that provides strategic planning, financial and other management resources to its affiliated business ventures in the real estate, automotive retailing, beer distribution, scrap metal, industrial services and transportation industries, among others. Soave Enterprises continues grow and expand as it searches for new innovative opportunities within each diverse industry. For more information on Tony Soave and Soave Enterprises, please visit http://www.soave.com. Soave Enterprises 3400 E Lafayette Detroit, MI 48207 313-567-7000 http://www.soave.com