Flying In and Out of Water

Flying In And Out Of Water

It was a summer birthday party, and little Kayleigh, daughter of Steve Reeves, ’81, was four years old.

Reeves recalled, “Of course I was the grill master. We fed the kids lunch, and then I went back to the grill to make lunch for the grown-ups. My daughter, without her life vest, walked right back into the pool. I turn around, and my daughter is lying down at the bottom.”

Reeves immediately jumped in, swam to the bottom, and pulled Kaylie out of the water, and she was revived. The next day, all the Reeves children were signed up for swimming lessons.

It was a terrifying event that left a sharp imprint in Reeves’ mind. He had experienced intense situations before as an airline pilot for the U.S. Navy, but those didn’t hit home the way it did to see his child almost drown. He and his wife never wanted to endure that kind of trauma again, and they wanted to shield other parents from it as well.

For a country teeming with public and private swimming pools, the percentage of children in America who don’t know how to swim is shocking – between 40 and 70 percent. Ten people drown every day in the U.S. For every child who dies from drowning, five who nearly drown require emergency care, and half of those will suffer after-effects like memory problems, learning disabilities, and pneumonia due to brain damage.

“Juvenile drowning is a big problem, even for survivors,” Reeves said. “There are lots of kids in hospitals who will never be the same. Most are low-income or minority children because they don’t have access to lessons.”

He continued, “We believe just as every child should know how to read, every child should know how to swim because it could save their lives.”

Ever since Reeves was a student at Cumberlands, he had a goal in the back of his mind to someday publish a book. He didn’t; he published two – The 1980 Gray Murders in 2012 and Squawk 7500 in 2016. When he received royalties for his first book, it dawned on him: he could use the money to fulfill his and his wife’s mission to provide swimming lessons to children. In 2015, Howard’s Hope was born, a nonprofit organization named after the little boy in Reeves’ book. The organization began a “Flying Fish” program that pairs children with local aquatic centers to provide them with life-saving swimming lessons at no cost.

“The program is all-encompassing. Children learn at least Level 2 swim skills, water safety instructions, and how to be safe around water,” Reeves said. “If they fall in a pool or a lake or a pond, they’re not going to drown. They’ll know how to rescue themselves.”

So far, more than 1,300 children residing in six different states have received free swim lessons through the “Flying Fish” program. Reeves’ goal is to make the program available to every child in Tennessee, and eventually to every child in the country. While Howard’s Hope was primarily formed to help save children (and their parents) from the experience the Reeves’ had, there is another purpose as well. By helping these children stay alive and conquer a possible fear, it gives them the chance to have successful, wonderful futures. In other words, to help children achieve their dreams. That resonated with Reeves.

In 1978, Reeves had dreams of becoming a naval aviator, and after serving his country, to become an airline pilot. The problem was, to do that, he needed a college degree, and he didn’t have the finances to pay for one. He called the Cumberland College switchboard and asked for a meeting with the president of the school. The following Thursday at 9:30 a.m., Reeves was ushered into Boswell’s office. Boswell had a strong handshake, horn-rimmed glasses, a full head of gray hair, and the biggest smile Reeves had ever seen. After Reeves explained his situation, Boswell stared at him for what felt like an eternity.

He said, “You look like a pilot.” Then he asked, “Do you know how to paint?”

In exchange for Reeves painting every room in North-West Hall (now Robinson Cook Hall), Boswell assured him that the college would cover his educational expenses. Reeves began painting the next day. After graduation, Reeves achieved his dream and completed one tour of duty in naval aviation. He then worked as a pilot for Southwest Airlines until he retired in 2008, having reached the pinnacle of his chosen profession.

“That meeting with Boswell completely changed the direction of my life,” Reeves said. “Sometimes life brings us an opportunity to make a positive impact on the world, and we may not even realize it at the time. Thirty-five years after putting a paint brush in a young student’s hand, his kind heart and generosity has indirectly led to saving the lives of 1,376 children. You never know the positive impact your actions may have as they ripple through time.”