Last month, my husband signed up to participate in a charity swim to help raise money and awareness for an organization called Colin’s Hope. Colin’s Hope raises water safety awareness to prevent children from drowning. The organization is named after Colin Hoist, a four-year old boy, who despite having participated in swimming lesson each year, At the young age of 4, drown in a neighborhood pool. He was with his family, and under the close watch of adults, but in the blink of an eye something went wrong.
Drowning is the number one cause of death for children under the age of 4! Fueled by their desire to prevent such a tragedy from happening time and time again to other children, Colin’s family founded Colin’s Hope to promote water safety in their community and to educate children, parents, and lifeguards on drowning prevention. Believing that a few simple tips and rules might make a difference in the life of another child keeps them passionate about their new purpose.
Each swimmer who participates in the charity swim must have a swim guardian accompany them. I will join Barrett on his swim as his swim guardian by paddling a kayak next to him, carrying nutrition and other items he may need along the way. We have both participated in many open water swims and understand the importance of water safety. This is our way to help a wonderful cause and also challenge ourselves. 11K is a long way to swim. 11K is also a long way to paddled. That’s a lot of husband/wife time too!
The Got2Swim Lake Austin 11K is scheduled for Thursday, August 28, 2014 at 7:30 AM. We are busy training and raising awareness along the way. Your help is appreciated in helping us raise $1000. Check out Barrett’s Fundraising Page. Tell a friend about Colin’s Hope too! The Colin’s Hope website is a great swim safety resource for adults and children.
In the meantime, we’ll be on the water!
Happy Treading 