More than 500 free swim lessons donated to Desert Recreation District
Desert Recreation District will once again be offering swim lesson scholarships for children living in the Coachella Valley thanks to funding from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation.
Kaiser Permanente presented a check of $84,150 to DRD at the Operation Splash event Saturday morning.
It will help fund the 2022 and 2023 swim seasons as part of Kaiser’s HEAL program: Healthy Eating Active Living. For the 2022 season, 540 swim scholarships were given out along with 250 scholarships for swim passes.
The lessons will take place at four area pools managed by DRD, which include Bagdouma Community Pool in Coachella, Fritz Burns Pool in La Quinta, Mecca Community Pool, and Pawley Pool Family Aquatic Complex in Indio.
Applications for the free swim lessons closed on May 31. Those issued scholarships received their award letters at Bagdouma Community Pool in Coachella during the
Operation Splash Kick-off event held Saturday morning.
The kick-off included free open swim time and a Lenny the Landshark water safety demonstration.
DRD will also be hosting a Free Swim Friday on June 10 from 5 – 9 p.m. Also, a few Dive-in movies will be shown on the inflatable screen at various pool locations. Additional information on these activities, including Operation Splash, can be found on the DRD's website or by calling 760-347-3484.