Dearborn Country Club

Detroit Swims began in 2010 as the brainchild of a group of community-minded YMCA Lifeguards to ensure that every child in Metro Detroit has the opportunity to learn both water safety skills and to swim.  

The Need:  In the United States, drowning is responsible for more than 1 in 10 unintentional injuries and deaths in children and adolescents. Michigan is 41.5% water, yet data has shown that 70% of children who live in the Metro Detroit area have little to no swimming ability. This signals an urgent need to decrease the number of water-related injuries and drowning deaths in Michigan and across the United States.

The Solution: The YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit aims to change this narrative. Detroit Swims provides lessons at YMCAs, local schools, and community pools in the Metropolitan Detroit area to ensure that all children learn valuable life-saving skills regardless of barriers. Our goal is to eliminate every obstacle for youth: we provide swimwear, towels, transportation, certified lifeguards, swim instructors, and all the encouragement a child needs to be safe around water.

The Goal: In our efforts to meet the existing waitlist and countless inquiries for programming. Our goal is to raise $30,000. With this and other funding, we aim to teach 1800 kids in 2025 to swim, be safe around water, and expand our reach by 20% over the next several years. No child should fear the water; $160 helps keep a child safe for life. Learn more about our impact on our website or Facebook page!