International Sorority Honors USA Swimming: Partnership Decreases Drowning Deaths Amongst African Americans

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. will award its Community Service Partnership Award to USA Swimming, the governing body for competitive swimming in the United States, for its partnership with the sorority to drive down drowning deaths among African Americans. The award will be presented Friday, September 22, beginning at 6:00 p.m., during a reception at the Renaissance Downtown Hotel, 999 9th Street NW, Washington, DC.

The partnership with Sigma Gamma Rho is a historic initiative that seeks to strengthen USA Swimming's commitment to diversity and inclusion and to increase swim participation and decrease drowning rates in the community. The sorority's five-year old partnership with USA Swimming, "Swim 1922," is named for the year the sorority was founded and includes swim clinics and water safety training led by U.S. Olympian Maritza McClendon, a Sigma Gamma Rho member and the first African American to break a U.S. swimming record, spearheads the collaboration. Supporting her in this effort is Olympian Cullen Jones, winner of a gold medal and two silvers in swimming.

Last year they crisscrossed the country to host 100 swimming events, nearly one every other day, and gave 2,500 swimming lessons to children and adults.

Tim Hinchey, president & CEO of USA Swimming will accept the award on behalf of the organization, and McClendon and Jones will deliver remarks during the event.

As part of the Congressional Black Caucus events, the two organizations will host a Swim 1922 booth #524 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Olympians McLendon and Jones will visit local D.C. schools on Thursday, September 21^st, and Friday, September 22^nd, and they will make waves on Sunday, September 24^th, as they lead a swim clinic for Washington, D.C. and Maryland youth at Gaffney Fitness Center, 6330 Broadfoot Road, Bldg. 6330., Fort Meade, MD. 

Sigma Gamma Rho President Deborah Catchings-Smith said, "USA Swimming has distinguished itself as a remarkable leader and advocate for water safety in communities of color." Catchings-Smith continues, "Their outstanding contributions and continuing commitment to elevating awareness and understanding of water safety has helped reduce the staggering number of drownings that occur in our communities."

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, 10 people drown on average each day, in swimming pools and African-American youths, ages 15 to 19, make up a disproportionate share of those deaths.

The partnership developed after the USA Swimming Foundation commissioned a study by the University of Memphis that discovered 70 percent of African American children have low or no swim compared to 40% of Caucasians.

Nearly 20,000 sorority members and affiliates participated in scores of swim clinics at colleges, universities and community pools throughout the country. Black and Hispanic youngsters learned a range of skills, from the fundamentals of swimming to rescue tactics.

A recent study by the USA Swimming Foundation revealed a 5-10 percent improvement amongst America's youth in overall swimming ability from its previous findings in 2010. The University of Memphis and University of Nevada-Las Vegas conducted the study. USA Swimming attributes much of this improvement to the sorority's efforts.

Seven educators founded Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., an international collegiate and non-profit community service organization in 1922 at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The sorority has welcomed more than 90,000 members as undergraduates and professionals. It has more than 500 chapters in the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Korea and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more info, visit www.sgrho1922.org or Swim 1922 Video

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Candace Sandy 646.298.5506 / [email protected]
Angela Spears 904.535.8862 / [email protected]

SOURCE Sigma Gamma Rho