Oak Brook to be part of World’s Largest Swimming Lesson

Oak Brook Park District’s Family Aquatic Center this month will join hundreds of other facilities around the world for the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, in an attempt to break the 2011 Guinness world record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted.

Oak Brook’s leg of the event is scheduled from 10 a.m. until noon June 14 at the aquatic center, 1450 Forest Gate Road.

The event was developed to build awareness about the importance of teaching children to swim to help prevent drowning.

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintended, injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14. Research shows if a child doesn’t learn to swim by the third grade, they likely never will.

The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson was created to serve as a platform to help community aquatic facilities and the many different national, regional and statewide water safety and drowning-prevention organizations work together to tell this important story on a local and national level.

In 2011, more than 20,000 kids and adults in more than 300 facilities representing 14 countries on five continents, including 45 states in the U.S., dove in to shatter the previous record.

Oak Brook Park District is joining 18 other official aquatic centers in Illinois this year, including the Rockford Park District and the Gwynn Aquatic Center in Peoria.

To ensure the most accurate records possible are submitted to the Guinness organization, those planning to participate at the Oak Brook Park District are encouraged to register at obparks.org and are asked to arrive at the Family Aquatic Center at least 15 minutes early to check-in.

Those who do not preregister should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the event. The Family Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art indoor aquatic facility and the event will take place rain or shine.

For details, visit obparks.org.