CHICAGO, IL (May 19, 2017) — The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois is highlighting May as Water Safety Month and is encouraging Illinois residents to equip themselves with life-saving skills for summer activities.
The American Red Cross’s national water safety program has become the gold standard for aquatics training, and over the past century this training has helped millions of people learn how to swim and keep others safe while in and around the water.
“Being prepared for all scenarios during water activities is a crucial element to safe summer fun,” said Celena Roldán, Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois.
Swimming is the most popular summer activity, and the best thing families can do to help stay safe is to enroll in age-appropriate swim lessons. As part of the Centennial Campaign, the American Red Cross has set of goal of teaching 50,000 more people in 50 communities across the country how to swim and help them be safer in the water. Around two million people participate in the Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety program each year, helping to train lifeguards and swim instructors as well. Nationwide, Red Cross trainings have helped reduce accidental drownings by 90%.
RESOURCES FOR RED CROSS WATER SAFETY
• Enroll children and adults in Red Cross swim lessons
• Learn about water safety. Go to redcross.org/watersafety tips for more.
• Know what to do in a water emergency. Go to redcross.org/takeaclass to enroll in a CPR class.
DOWNLOAD THE WATER SAFETY APP
People can download the app for free in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store for Android or Amazon Kindle Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps or text 'SWIM' to 90999 for a link to it.
About the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois:
The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission._For more information, please visit us at_redcross.org/il/chicago_or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross.