Janet Evans started swimming for one great reason: water safety. It remains so important to her that the five-time Olympic gold medalist has partnered with USA Swimming for its award-winning ‘Make a Splash’ water safety campaign, an initiative that will run throughout the months of April and May.

The campaign reaches out to children and families across the country in an effort to educate them on the importance of proper swim instruction and water safety. “We have found that if children don’t learn to swim by the 3rd grade, then they are less likely to ever learn,” said Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming Executive Director. “If USA Swimming can spread the word about water safety, we will not only help kids enjoy our great sport, but also save lives.”

USA Swimming’s annual campaign to improve water safety has never been so comprehensive:

Water Safety Pledge

USA Swimming hopes to raise awareness about water-related injuries by asking children and families to sign the Water Safety Pledge at www.makeaspash.org/discovery, committing to stay safe in the pools during the summer. In 2005, more than 90,000 people signed the first-ever Water Safety Pledge.

In-School Sweepstakes


USA Swimming has teamed up with Discovery Communications to develop an in-school marketing program expected to reach students in 25,000 schools, five times more schools (and students) than 2005. All children can be involved in the campaign by signing the Water Safety Pledge and participating in the ‘Make a Splash’ school sweepstakes. One school will win a visit from an Olympic swimmer as well as an exclusive sneak peek at an upcoming Discovery Kids show with free giveaways and a $1,000 library of Discovery Education multimedia products.

The Big Swim


USA Swimming has partnered with New York City’s Asphalt Green Swim Club for the 11th annual The Big Swim event on April 29, in which more than a thousand New York City children from diverse backgrounds will show off their newly-acquired swimming skills in a day long celebration. For more information, log onto www.usaswimming.org/makeasplashmedia.

Click here to read about the Water Safety Campaign's Spokespeople and Drowning by the Numbers on page two.

Log onto the Make A Splash Water Safety Campaign media web site for more information, statistics and downloadable information.

About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for competitive swimming in the United States, USA Swimming formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects athletes to represent the United States in international competition. USA Swimming has more than 300,000 members nationwide and sanctions more than 7,000 events each year. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.