CULLEN JONES VISITS SERNA ELEMENTARY
AUGUST 25, 2011

For the third consecutive year, the USA Swimming Foundation and Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones joined forces with ConocoPhillips to raise awareness about the importance of learning to swim as part of the Make a Splash Tour with Cullen Jones. Through this tour, Jones, a survivor of a near-drowning incident at age five and the first African-American male to hold a world record in swimming, visited Serna Elementary on Thursday, Aug. 25th to address the importance of water safety in an effort to reduce the number of U.S. drownings, particularly among minority youth.

In San Antonio, the USA Swimming Foundation has partnered with San Antonio Sports to meet with community leaders to advocate for water safety education and life-saving learn-to-swim programs in the region. Not only did Jones share his personal story of near-drowning and the efforts he took to become an Olympic champion, but he also discussed why drowning continues to affect African-American and Hispanic families at alarming rates. Additionally, Jones spoke to a number of children about the benefits of learning to swim at Serna Elementary School, and concluded the tour stop with a semi-private swim lesson for five Serna Elementary students at the Josh Davis Natatorium.

Make a Splash is the national child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation. Since its inception in 2007, Make a Splash has reached more than 845,000 children with life-saving swim lessons and the USA Swimming Foundation would like to surpass the one million mark by the end of 2012. Through its nearly 400 local partner programs, Make a Splash offers free or discounted swimming lessons or water safety education in 45 states.

Event: Pasta for Pennies	Founders' Day Award
Ms. Delaunays' class raised over $328 for the Pasta for Pennies Leukemia Drive	Founders' Day Celebration Award Recipient is Gail NickelRECIPIENT IS GAIL NICKEL