Jeff and Eilis Powers PHOTO BY MARY SCHENKEL

Funders and community partners of Float Hope, a program founded by Jeff Powers to expand local children’s access to life-saving swimming lessons, were feted at a reception at the John’s Island Golf Club to thank them for their support.

“If I have a message for the people tonight, it’s that we’re helping people that are over the bridge; that’s where we’re getting all of our children. And near all of those kids, do not know how to swim. And they will never know how to swim unless we help them,” said Powers.

Its importance can’t be overstated. From 2018 to 2020, according to FloridaHealth.gov, Florida had the highest unintentional drowning rate among children ages 0 to 9.

Beata Brewster, Float Hope’s new executive director, said most people are unaware that our local public schools do not have pools, so children often have zero water safety skills.

“We have this huge gap of children that live in Florida who don’t have access to a good, true pool. And forget about the high cost of swim lessons,” said Brewster.

“What we are trying to do as an organization is change that. We’ve taught over 1,000 kids how to swim,” said Powers.

During the school year, they average 100 to 120 children, ages 6 to 12, and have double that during the summer. Some 60 percent are in the Minnows program, which teaches swimming basics to children who have never been in the water.

With additional funding, they hope to expand the Minnows program, especially during the summer when college students can assist head coaches Scott Barlow and Holly McClain.

Float Hope partners with the Gifford Youth Achievement Center, Boys & Girls Clubs, the Homeless Children’s Foundation and Youth Guidance, and is seeking relationships with other organizations to expand its reach.

Powers spoke about a woman who came to the pool with three young girls. He told them to return the next day when they would be given bathing suits, goggles, caps and an instructor.

“And then she told me something that was gut-wrenching. She said, ‘These three kids are children I’m trying to adopt. And the reason I want them to swim so badly is because their mother tried to drown them.’ It took my breath away, and it made me realize the lives that we’re changing,” said Powers.

Brewster related that an ICU nurse thanked her recently, saying that even children who survive unintentional drownings often require hospitalization or further care, with long-term injuries that can include severe brain damage, memory problems, learning disabilities and even a permanent vegetative state.

“Float Hope takes children that are afraid of the water and turns them into kids that are confident,” said Brewster.

“They have water safety skills, and they’re having fun. So we’re really thankful to all of you for being here and supporting this really important work. I think it’s pretty self-evident that children in Florida need to learn to swim.”

Photos by Mary Schenkel