Commitment will help extend a safe and healthy pool experience to underserved communities through free access to swimming lessons.

(Pictured L to R: Rowdy Gaines, PHTA Vice President of Partnerships & Development; Eloy Planes Corts, Fluidra Executive President & Executive Chairman; Bruce Brooks, Fluidra CEO; Sabeena Hickman, PHTA President & CEO; and Troy Franzen, Fluidra North America President.)

Alexandria, VA (January 26, 2022) – As part of its goal to bring the joy and substantial benefits of swimming to children across all communities, Fluidra committed $100,000 to the Pool & Hot Tub Foundation (PHTF) initiative Step Into Swim, a national program dedicated to providing safe swim education.

Through the Step Into Swim initiative, Fluidra is able to share its passion for aquatic recreation and make swimming lessons accessible to all children so they can participate in what the company strives to create—the perfect pool and wellness experience for all.

“Being able to swim isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Troy Franzen, President of Fluidra North America who also serves on the Step Into Swim Champions Board. “The ability to swim is essential to improving the health and safety of this and future generations, and we are fully invested in the effort to teach people how to swim and be safe around water, regardless of their socioeconomic situation.”

“Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4,” said Rowdy Gaines, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Vice President of Partnerships and Development at PHTA. “Through Fluidra’s generous contribution we are able to make stronger strides to combat childhood drowning—with focus in under-resourced communities—so that we can keep children safer in the water.”

In 2021, Step Into Swim raised over $500,000 dollars from the pool and hot tub industry, which provided grants to 22 facilities in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas – funding 6,297 swimming lessons for children.

“I am in awe of how far Step Into Swim has come thanks to the leadership of Rowdy Gaines and our Champions Board, as well as the support from key partners like Fluidra,” said Sabeena Hickman, CAE, President and CEO of PHTA. “Everyone plays a special role in helping us mobilize against an important initiative to provide educational resources and access to free swimming lessons. The future is bright as we continue to build upon this momentum in 2022.” 

Donors can support Step Into Swim through tiered funding levels, including the Build A Pool, Save A Life Sponsorship where companies can pledge funds based on the number of pools built or maintenance contracts signed each year. 100 percent of funds go directly to Step Into Swim programming. Visit www.StepIntoSwim.org to see a full list of supporters and to learn more about how to get involved.

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About Pool & Hot Tub Alliance and Step Into Swim:

The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), a non-profit organization with nearly 3,500 members from around the world, was established in 1956 to support, promote, and protect the common interests of the $36.5B pool, hot tub, and spa industry. PHTA provides education, advocacy, standards development, research, and market growth to increase our members’ professionalism, knowledge, and profitability. Additionally, PHTA facilitates the expansion of swimming, water safety and related research and outreach activities aimed at introducing more people to swimming, making swimming environments safer and keeping pools open to serve communities. For more information, visit www.phta.org.

Step Into Swim^TM is an initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance and its foundation committed to safe swim education and drowning prevention. By investing in the next generation of swimmers through learn-to-swim programming, the Step Into Swim initiative instills confidence, empowers long-term participation in water activities, touts the positive benefits of water play, and advocates for safe practices. Since its inception in 2012, Step Into Swim has played a role in reducing drowning fatalities and has gifted swim lessons to more than 285,000 children with support from community organizations, partners, industry advocates, members and more. For more information, visit www.stepintoswim.org.

About Fluidra

Fluidra is a publicly listed company focused on developing innovative products, services and IoT solutions for the residential and commercial pool markets, globally. The company operates in over 45 countries and owns a portfolio of some of the industry’s most recognized and trusted brands, including Jandy®, Polaris®, CMP, Taylor Water Technologies, S.R. Smith and Zodiac®. To learn more about Fluidra, visit fluidrausa.com or call 800-822-7933.