LOWELL, MASS. (WHDH) - The Lowell Police Department provided dozens of children in Lowell with free swim lessons Thursday as part of an initiative to help kids build confidence in and around the water.
Approximately 75 children showed up at the Raymond Lord Memorial Swimming Pool on Fletcher Street to learn floating, kicking, and the basics of water safety. The goal is to learn a skill that could one day save their lives.
The program is funded in part by the Officer Sean Collier Memorial Fund. Collier was the Massachusetts Institue of Technology officer killed in the search for the Boston Marathon bombers in 2013. The fund in turn contributes money in honor of Manny Familia, the Worcester officer who died in 2021 while trying to save a young boy from drowning in Green Hill Pond. The program is also funded in part by a state-funded grant program that helps to reduce youth violence.
Parents said the free lessons were an opportunity they could not pass up for their children.
“It’s been going great,” said Maria Burgos, a Lowell parent. “I figured as long as she knows how to doggy paddle, then she’s good to go.”
“It’s such a life skill that every child should be able to learn, and grow with it,” said Pollyanna Bonsim, another Lowell parent.
Lowell police said there have also been a few drowning tragedies throughout the last few years that contributed to the motivation for starting the program.
“There’s a lot of waterways in the area so having access to it is very important,” said Lowell Police Sgt. Mike Marshall.
Police said the biggest reward for them is seeing the kids get stronger in the water.
“Not everyone learns to swim so young, so we want to make sure that anybody that wants to learn how to swim gets the opportunity,” said Lowell Police Patrolman Christine Larocque. “My favorite part is when the skills start to connect, and they see everything, and the progress they have through the entire program is nice to see.”
The program runs through the end of July.
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