“Neir’s for Years”: Celebrating Loycent and a Community That Showed Up
At the 197th anniversary block party for Neir’s Tavern in Woodhaven, Queens, Senator Joseph Addabbo took a moment to thank the people behind the bar, owner Loycent “Loy” Gordon, his wife, and their family. He led the crowd in a cheer of “Neir’s for years,” then spoke about what Loy’s perseverance has meant. Neir’s is still open today because Loy kept fighting for it. The Senator also thanked the whole community for coming together and keeping an ear open for one...
One Sunday, Twenty Years: The Breaststroke Bootcamp Recap
On Sunday, September 20, 2026, Swim Strong Foundation gathered at St. Sebastian Parish Center in Woodside for the Breaststroke Bootcamp — a morning that turned out to be about a lot more than stroke technique. The date landed on World Cleanup Day, when roughly 410 million people around the world were out doing the same thing in their own communities: showing up to make things a little better. That spirit ran through the whole morning. It was a real convergence —...
Fully Clothed and Ready: The Test That Marks a Swimmer’s Safety Milestone
Before a single stroke of Learn to Swim, there is a test. Not a pool skills check in a swimsuit and goggles — a fully clothed challenge. Shirts, shorts, the whole outfit, right into the water. It looks strange from the deck. It is anything but random. This is how Swim Strong Foundation (SSF) marks a child's readiness for the next chapter: Learn to Swim. And on this day, Founder & Executive Director Shawn Slevin was on deck to walk the...
Before Entering the Water
At Swim Strong Foundation, the first thing a new student learns isn’t a stroke. It’s the pool itself. That’s by design. Before anyone steps into the water, Founder & Executive Director Shawn Slevin leads every new group through a hands-on orientation — walking the deck, reading the depth markers, and building an understanding of the space before a single lesson begins. It’s a small shift in sequence that reflects something much bigger about how SSF thinks about teaching people to...
Take the Doughnut, Story 2: What Diving Can Teach Us About Getting Into the Water in the First Place
Last time on *Take the Doughnut*, we talked about going after what you want — Melissa Forziat's whole philosophy of carpe diem, chasing it down one decision at a time. This installment picks that thread back up with diver Max Flory, who's currently packing boxes for a cross-country move to train for a shot at LA. But the more interesting part of his story, for us, isn't the move itself. It's everything that had to happen before Max ever stood on...
One Stroke at a Time: A Student’s Summer Push Toward the Navy
Every session, Swim Strong Foundation sees students walk onto the pool deck with a goal bigger than the lap in front of them. This summer, one young man at our Bushwick and James Madison locations spent July and August training with instructor Claire Hilger to build the swimming skills he'll need for the Navy — and along the way, he built something else: real confidence in the water. In His Own Words — Bushwick, One Month In After several classes at our...
BRAVA to Kate! Turning Passion Into Purpose
Some people talk about making a difference. Kate Casciato just goes and does it — in the pool, in classrooms, in libraries, and now, in Albany. We are beyond proud to share that our own Kate Casciato has been named a Daily Point of Light honoree by Points of Light, recognized for the work she's poured into water safety education across New York City. Read her full story here. A volunteer who shows up everywhere the work is needed Kate shows what...
Swim Strong x Take the Doughnut: Meet Howie Sanborn
Seven months after a bike accident left him with a spinal cord injury, Howie Sanborn raced paratriathlon for the first time, through Chicago's Dare2tri program. A wheelchair failure mid-race in Paris didn't slow him down for long — he's since rebuilt his training setup at home, down to a 300-square-foot strength and conditioning shed currently under construction. But the part of his Journey to LA interview worth thinking about is what he says when a young athlete asks him how to...
Motion, Community, and Water Safety: Recapping the Elite Amenity 5K
On June 27, runners and walkers gathered at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park for the Elite Amenity 5K, hosted by Elite Amenity Management in support of Swim Strong Foundation. It was a morning built around movement, community, and purpose — and the energy on the course showed it. Fitness and water safety, hand in hand One thing came up again and again when we spoke with participants after the race: running and swimming aren't separate pursuits — they build on each other. Several runners...
Five Years Later: Ed Accura Returns With a New Message on Water Safety
Five years ago, at Swim Strong Foundation's 15th Anniversary celebration, filmmaker and water safety advocate Ed Accura stood up and shared a few words about the road ahead. Ed — the producer behind "Blacks Can't Swim" and co-founder of the Black Swim Association in the UK — had spent years working to shift how his community talks about swimming, fear, and the water. That night, he told us: “Working with organizations like Swim Strong Foundation has made it possible for us to...
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!®...
Lace Up and Make a Difference: Join the Elite Amenity 5K Run Benefiting Swim Strong Foundation
Lace up your running shoes and be part of something bigger than the finish line. The Elite Amenity 5K Run is a fun and inspiring community race — and this year, every step you take benefits Swim Strong Foundation's life-saving mission. Whether you run, walk, or cheer from the sidelines, your participation helps expand access to essential water safety education, affordable swim instruction, and drowning prevention programs right here in New York City. Why This Race Matters Water safety isn't just about knowing...