WORLD’S LARGEST SWIMMING LESSON COMES TO DOLLYWOOD’S SPLASH COUNTRY

BY GABRIELLE

Aimed at reducing the number of drowning cases among children, Dollywood’s Splash Country is devoting a day to water safety education.

On June 20, 2019, swimming instructors and community leaders will gather at the popular family waterpark in Tennessee, to offer free, 30-minute swimming lessons and provide information about swimming safety.

This will be the tenth year that Dollywood’s Splash Country has participated in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson.

Hosting the event will be community partners LeConte Medical Center, The Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation, WVLT Local 8 News and WIVK 107.7. Dollywood’s Splash Country General Manager Janet Dawson explains the importance of informing the public about water safety at waterparks.

“As a family waterpark, we believe it is incumbent upon us to join arm-in-arm with our community and raise awareness about the benefits of teaching kids to swim.

“This is the tenth year that we’ve participated in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson. We’ve made this an important day in our season because research shows that formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children who are four and younger. We believe this simple event can save lives.”

Leading the lesson at Dollywood’s Splash Country for the second consecutive year is Olympic gold medalist Jenna Johnson and legendary swim coach Jackie Bertucci.

LeConte Medical Center President and CAO Gaye Jolly commented on the event.

“LeConte Medical Center is honored to be a part of raising awareness concerning safety on or near water.

“The event is important to our community and we are proud to have great partners like the Dr. Robert F Thomas Foundation and Dollywood’s Splash County for Water Safety Day,” Bertucci added.

It’s not just Dollywood’s Splash Country that hosts the annual swim safety event. Every year, swimming pools and waterparks around the world, take part in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson on June 20.

In 2018, nearly 42,000 kids and adults participated in the event in 27 countries.