Gurnee Park District receives $20,000 grant

Gurnee Park District recently received a $20,000 grant from the John H. Emery Youth, Pageantry, and Patriotism Fund.

This donation will be used to support children whose family may not otherwise have the income to enroll them in swim lessons. The grant will be used over the next few years to support these individuals enrolling in the Gurnee Park District's instructional swimming program.

John H. Emery, a freelance writer who spent much of his life in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, has made sizable contributions to several organizations in the area.

"We are very happy to support the wishes of Mr. Emery in providing youth programming opportunities to our community," Gurnee Park District Executive Director Susie Kuruvilla said.

This resource comes at a very good time, as the recently renovated FitNation Pool is now open and instructional swim programs will be starting at this location in January.

This summer, Gurnee Park District was honored to be a part of the World's Largest Swim Lesson, which set the new Guinness Book of World Records' largest simultaneous swim lesson record.

That effort was done to highlight the importance of swim lessons as a means to reduce drowning in children younger than 4, as it is the second leading cause of death for that age group.

"This grant will allow Gurnee Park District to continue to support this national initiative to reduce drowning in children," said Kara Moss, aquatics manager for the park district.

In addition to the safety benefits swimming provides, there are also many health benefits gained by swimming. With the recent addition of FitNation to the Gurnee Community, Gurnee Park District is focused now more than ever on providing more fitness and health opportunities to the community through its programming.

Beginning in January 2015 with the launch of a new swim lesson program at FitNation, eligible participants will have the opportunity to participate in the John H. Emery Swimming Assistance Program.

This initiative will focus on providing young children with the opportunity to join the Gurnee Park District swim lesson program to develop important swimming skills. The goal will be to provide children with the necessary instructional classes to be able to swim safely on their own.

As a premiere swim lesson provider in the area, Gurnee Park District teaches more than 4,000 children annually how to swim. Swim lessons are offered at the Hunt Club Park Aquatic Center, Warren Pool, and FitNation.

For tours of the FitNation facility, visit 1655 Nations Drive, Gurnee, or call (847) 623-4506 to schedule an appointment. More information can be found at www.gurneeparkdistrict.com/registration-forms.