Dr Charles van der Horst Water Safety Initiative
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Mission Statement
Swim for Charlie's mission is to equip children with life-saving water safety skills by providing a high-quality water safety program to second grade North Carolina students. The Initiative envisions a community where water safety programs are available to all school-age children. We foresee a day when all children are safer around the water and strive for a time when our participants will be those teaching and helping to keep safe both their peers and future generations of children. Swim for Charlie will operate using the values embodied by Charlie: - Social Equity - Compassion - Integrity - Collaboration - Confidence - Courage
About This Cause
The impetus for the Dr. Charles van der Horst Water Safety Initiative dba Swim for Charlie was his untimely death during a marathon swim in the Hudson River in June 2019. Charlie van der Horst was a physician, leader, and humanitarian who used his brilliant mind to bring knowledge and compassion together to solve difficult medical, academic, and societal problems. Charlie was a life-long pool and open water competitive swimmer. He was a force for good and he was integrally involved in many activities benefiting vulnerable populations. In keeping with Charlie’s values, his love for swimming, and interest in helping youth, Charlie’s fellow swimmers and friends have formed a nonprofit charitable organization in his name. Swim for Charlie partners with North Carolina elementary schools and local pools to provide a water safety program for 2nd grade students. The program is part of the Physical Education curriculum. The schools transport the students during the school day to the pool for 8 lessons over 2 weeks. Each lesson is 50 minutes with a 10 minute discussion of water safety principles and presentation of an aquatic career, followed by 40 minutes of in-pool water safety/basic swimming skills instruction. In February and March 2020 3 Orange County Schools with 194 students graduated from the program. After a hiatus due to COVID restrictions the program restarted in September 2022 in 15 schools with ~850 2nd graders in 2 schools districts. 788 students participated during the 2022-2023 school year. The Orange County Sportsplex Aquatic Center hosted 7 Orange County Schools elementary schools, and the North Carolina Central University Aquatic Center (7) along with Hollow Rock Racquet & Swim Club (1) hosted 8 Durham Public Schools elementary schools. Swim for Charlie provides a Program Director as well as volunteer lifeguards and instructors. The schools pay for transportation and background checks on adults coming in contact with the students. The schools also provide at least 1 male and 1 female chaperone at each session. The pools provide free pool space along with hiring of lifeguards and instructors. Swim for Charlie reimburses the pools for the lifeguards' and instructors' salaries. Swim for Charlie also provides pool supplies, mesh bags for the students to bring their suits and towels to the pool, and pays for swim suits and towels for those students who do not have and cannot afford them. Each student receives a certificate of participation and an information sheet to go home to the parents outlining the progress their child made along with suggestions regarding water safety. Swim for Charlie provides plaques for the schools new to the program. School districts are added based on higher levels of need as determined by percentage of students eligible for Free and Reduced lunch. Higher need schools will be added first within each school district. For the 2023-2024 school year Swim for Charlie will expand to 9 additional Title I schools for a total of 24 schools, offering the program to ~1400 2nd grade students. As resources allow Swim for Charlie will continue to bring together other North Carolina school districts and aquatic centers, considering the unique assets and challenges of each new partnership. The ultimate goal is for this initiative to grow statewide and to continue for the long term over decades, having a profound effect upon youth health and lives matching Charlie’s broad vision.