Float Like A Duck event to include free swim lessons

Special to ViewDuckie the giant duck mascot is a perennial fixture at the annual Float Like a Duck event. This year?s celebration is set for 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday\uFEFF at the Bill and Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, and will feature swim lessons every hour, education stations and games. Admission is free. Advertisement

Learning to float could save your child's life.

That's the assertion of Paragon Pools president Joe Vassallo, whose company has been putting together the annual Float Like A Duck event for the past seven years.

"This skill could literally mean the difference between life and death for a child," Vassallo said.

The event, which will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Bill and Lillie Heinrich YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, will feature swim lessons every hour, education stations and games. Admission is free.

Vassallo said his company developed the event in an effort to educate the public about water safety and make people aware of the dangers of dehydration and prolonged sun exposure.

"There will be a number of stations discussing various topics, including how to be safe around the pool, proper use of safety devices such as vests, the application of sunscreen and hydration," he said.

Vassallo said one of the event's primary pushes will be to help people understand that investing in U.S. Coast Guard-approved swim equipment, such as vests or flotation devices, could save a life.

"Buying plastic floaties are great, but they're not specifically designed to keep a body afloat," he said. "Coast Guard- approved items are. And that is what we recommend people buy. It is more of an investment than buying something at the five and dime but well worth it."

Vassallo said he sits on a Clark County board that lobbies for pool safety legislation, but no amount of legislation can take the place of adult supervision.

"We can't legislate that," he said. "But that is the one thing that makes all the difference. So if we can educate adults about the importance of being on guard and watchful, we can prevent needless drowning."

Vassallo said his company started the event seven years ago as a way to try and give back to the community.

"The motivation is that, as with any industry, you try to be as good a business person as you can be while also being community-minded," he said.

Brianna Gerrity, senior program director at the YMCA, said the organization has been partnering with Paragon Pools in an effort to reduce the number of drownings in the valley.

"Drowning is a preventable tragedy with the right education," she said.

Gerrity said much of the instruction on the day of the event will focus on teaching kids how to float.

"The more safety kids are taught at a younger age, the better," she said.

Gerrity said learning to swim is a right and shouldn't be considered a privilege.

"The YMCA has scholarships for families who cannot pay for lessons, so please don't think that if you don't have the money, your child can't learn to swim, even beyond the event," she said. "We want people to know that."

For more information about YMCA swim programs, visit www.lasvegasymca.org or call 877-9622.

Contact North Las Vegas and Downtown View reporter Amanda Llewellyn at allewellyn@viewnews.com or 380-4535.