Float Hope celebrated another year of growth and accomplishments during a Reception for Donors and Friends at the John’s Island Club hosted by its chairman and founder, Jeff Powers.
The evening focused on the life-saving impact its donors have made on area youth through their generosity, which enables the nonprofit to provide free swimming lessons to underserved children, ages 6 to 12, in the community.
“I’m here to say one thing, and that is thank you,” said Powers in gratitude.
He told them that the organization has put 350 at-risk children in the water since 2017, children who never could have dreamt of being able to swim.
He recounted speaking with parents who told him, “I never thought I could afford swimming lessons, and you guys have made it happen.”
“I have not been the one to make that happen. You people have,” he said to the donors.
Powers praised the leadership of Beata Brewster, Float Hope executive director, noting that she has doubled the size of the program since coming on board.
Brewster highlighted the comprehensive nature of the program, and explained that their funding helps to cover the costs of pool time, swimming equipment, swim coaches and a summer program.
Float Hope partners with various other nonprofit organizations, such as the Gifford Youth Achievement Center and the Boys and Girls Clubs, to determine which children will qualify and to provide bus transport to the pools.
Brewster said that the vision of Float Hope goes well beyond learning the life skill of swimming.
“We’re also giving them that sense of belonging,” said Brewster, recounting a conversation with a 7-year-old boy from the Boys and Girls Club who initially didn’t feel like he belonged at the pool.
However, she said later, the boy told her Coach Holly made him feel that he did belong.
“We’re also hopefully setting them up for the future,” said Brewster, sharing another story, this time of a high school freshman, who after joining the swim team became a focused and committed competitor.
“In 2025, it looks like we’ll have served more than 170 children every month this year. And 220 children in our summer program,” said Brewster. She added that they are at full capacity and now need more lane space to meet the growing demand.
Brewster described the profound impact of seeing the joyful emotion on the children’s faces as they exit the pool after accomplishing something significant during the organization’s twice-yearly swim meets.
These non-competitive events provide children with their “first and maybe only chance to have that feeling of competing in the pool, having their parents and their friends cheering for them,” she said.
During a film presentation, the mother of four young daughters spoke of her gratitude for Float Hope, saying that she had searched for swimming lessons for her daughters but couldn’t afford them, and two young swimmers shared poems that conveyed the joy of their swimming journey.
“Before I came, I didn’t know how to swim, just float real slow. Now I kick, I glide, I race with a big bright smile on my face. Float Hope helped me start my dream. Now I’m part of a swimming team,” recited one participant.
For more information, visit FloatHopeNow.org.
Photos by Jessica Schmitt
