Step Into Swim Announces Partnerships with CamerEye, Periodic Products, and Pool Shark H2O to Promote Swim Safety

Pool industry leaders dedicate $40,000 to Step Into Swim, providing access to swim lessons

Alexandria, Va. (May 21, 2024) – Step Into Swim, an initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) dedicated to creating more swimmers through safe swim education, is pleased to announce new partnerships with key program supporters CamerEye, Periodic Products, Inc., and Pool Shark H2O. The partners are donating a total of $40,000, which will help Step Into Swim gift grants to learn-to-swim providers across the country and fund swim lessons for 800 children while lowering the drowning rate.

These partnerships come at an especially meaningful time for the pool, spa, and hot tub industry. May is National Water Safety Month, an annual awareness campaign that highlights the importance of water safety education and launches the beginning of the peak summer swim season. Step Into Swim and its partners are committed to helping children and families have a safe and enjoyable summer spent in and near the water.

"I am so incredibly honored to have these amazing companies become part of our Step Into Swim family,"”" says Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines, Vice President of Partnerships & Development at PHTA, who leads the Step Into Swim initiative. "They understand the need to give as many children as possible the lifesaving gift of learning to swim, and their generous gifts will provide that for hundreds of children."”"

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4, though learning to swim from a qualified instructor reduces the risk of drowning by 88% among this age group. Step Into Swim, with the help of partners like CamerEye, Periodic Products, Pool Shark H2O, and others, is taking an active role to reduce drowning by reaching as many families as possible through safe swimming efforts.

Partnership with CamerEye

CamerEye's AI-powered Smart Pool System improves pool safety and care with 24/7 video monitoring, human and pet detection near the pool, ASTM F2208 and UL 2017 pool alarm compliance, rapid distress alerts, and advanced pool maintenance, giving families peace of mind around their pool. Through its Silver Level sponsorship, CamerEye will help Step Into Swim provide learn-to-swim programming for 200 children.

"Water safety is a crucial part of our mission and we are deeply committed to creating safer, smarter, and more sustainable pools," says Sai Reddy, CEO and Founder of CamerEye. "Our support through Step Into Swim to fund swim lessons reflects our passion for fostering stronger swimmers, ensuring every child and family can enjoy the water with peace of mind."

Partnership with Periodic Products, Inc.

Periodic Products is committed to advancing a cleaner, safer, and more energy-efficient global environment through the application of responsible science and breakthrough chemical technologies. Through its Gold Level sponsorship, Periodic Products will help Step Into Swim provide learn-to-swim programming for 400 children.

"Periodic Products is proud to be able to support the Step Into Swim initiative as a Gold Level sponsor for a second year," says Joseph Laurino, Ph.D., CEO and President of Periodic Products, Inc. and Chairman of the PHTA Board of Directors. "Pools and spas are an integral part of the backyard experience and all children should be able to swim. The lessons provided by this program are the first step in achieving this goal. Thanks go out to Rowdy Gaines and his team for making this program a success, to PHTA for underwriting the administrative costs of this program so that 100% of the donations go to swim lessons, and to the PHTA Board of Directors for matching this donation, effectively doubling the number of children we can teach."

Partnership with Pool Shark H2O

Pool Shark H2O replaces traditional paper commercial pool logs with a simple, easy-to-implement and manage cloud-based solution that brings pool operators confidence that their pools are being managed safely. Through its Silver Level sponsorship, Pool Shark H2O will help Step Into Swim provide learn-to-swim programming for 200 children.

"Working with Rowdy Gaines and the Step Into Swim team has exceeded our expectations and provided a way for us to give back to the community," says Scott Trafton, President & Co-founder of Pool Shark H2O. "This partnership is a win for everyone involved. Our clients simplify their pool maintenance and recordkeeping, swimmers get cleaner and safer pools, and for every new pool, Pool Shark H2O is able to sponsor a child through the Step Into Swim program to help reduce drownings. Win, win, win!"

All Step Into Swim partners have a collective goal of providing the lifesaving skill of learning to swim and raising awareness for the aquatic industry's role in improving public health and safety. In 2023, the program raised over $1 million, which provided grants to more than 130 facilities in 35 states and Canada and funded swim lessons for 27,000 children. The initiative has gifted more than 330,000 swim lessons since 2012 through YMCAs, Jewish Community Centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, and many more. The program is funded through partner contributions, which are integral for advancing the mission. 100 percent of donations go to Step Into Swim initiatives and learn-to-swim programming. To learn more, visit www.stepintoswim.org.

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About the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance and Step Into Swim:
The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), a non-profit organization with over 3,900 members from around the world, was established in 1956 to support, promote, and protect the common interests of the $62B pool, hot tub, and spa industry. PHTA provides education, advocacy, standards development, research, and market growth initiatives to increase our members’ professionalism, knowledge, and profitability. Additionally, PHTA promotes the use of pools by expanding 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 330,000 children with support from community organizations, partners, industry advocates, members, and more. For more information, visit www.stepintoswim.org.

Contact for PHTA/Step Into Swim:
Amy Willer
Director, Content & Communications
awiller@phta.org
703-838-0083, ext. 121 | PHTA.org