We Do Good… Together: A Thank You Twenty Years in the Making

Twenty years ago, Swim Strong Foundation opened its doors with a simple but powerful belief — that every person in New York City deserves to feel safe in, on, and around water. Not just children from well-resourced families. Everyone. That belief hasn’t changed. What has changed is the number of people who decided to be part of making it real.

This is a thank you to all of them.

Building a program that has reached 135,000+ students through Know Before You Go!® — that has taught 12,600+ people to swim, certified 535+ lifeguards, and delivered $2M+ in free and low-cost lessons — does not happen through the efforts of one organization alone. It happens because partners show up. Because sponsors renew their commitment year after year. Because community organizations lend their relationships, their spaces, and their people. Because someone — somewhere in the funding chain — said yes.

Every yes moved us forward.

Over twenty years, we have been joined by government agencies, corporate partners, community organizations, philanthropic foundations, service clubs, sports institutions, individuals and families who believed that water safety is a community issue — not just a personal one. Some have been with us since the early days. Some came in at exactly the right moment and changed what was possible. All of them left a mark on this organization that is still felt today in every class, every certification, and every student who walks away from a Know Before You Go!® session knowing something they didn’t know before.

That list lives on our sponsors page, and we keep it there intentionally — because these partnerships deserve to be seen, not buried in a press release.

We are marking our 20th anniversary this year not as a finish line but as a foundation. The next chapter is already being written, and it looks like more schools, more neighborhoods, more kids who understand that water is something they can navigate — not something to fear. It looks like more lifeguards certified, more families reached, and more partners who see themselves in this mission.

If you have ever supported Swim Strong Foundation in any capacity — a sponsorship, a donation, a volunteer hour, a referral, a share — you are part of what we are celebrating. And we would love to have you with us for what comes next.

When we work together, we benefit individuals, families, communities, and cities.

To everyone who has been part of this journey: thank you. To those considering joining us for the next twenty years — the door is open.

Visit our sponsors page to see the full partnership community and to learn how to continue with us: swimstrongfoundation.org/sponsors

Swim Strong Foundation — 20 Years Strong. #SwimStrong20