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May 15, 2008

ULM and American Red Cross offer free swimming lessons through May 16

Dive right into free swimming lessons!

A joint community service offered by the Northeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross and the University of Louisiana at Monroe is helping individuals learn how to swim or improve skills they already possess. Evening classes will continue at the ULM Natatorium each evening this week until conclusion Friday, May 16; sessions begin at 5:30 and at 6:15 p.m. each evening.

The sessions are designed to give students a positive learning experience; help swimmers of various ages (five – 18 years old) and abilities develop their swimming and water safety skills; and teach people to swim and to be safe in, on and around the water.

LaVonne LeBlanc, director of administration for the Northeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross, praises this opportunity to provide life-saving skills. “This is a much needed service in our area where there are so many waterways – lakes, ponds, bayous, and rivers, as well as home pools. The value of this community service and the impact on our community is profound if just one of the 150 participants find themselves in a life-threatening situation in which they use the skills learned here this week.

“The American Red Cross has been the leader in water safety since 1914, and continues that tradition today.”

Instructors are trained and certified by the American Red Cross. Some of the volunteer instructors (Laura Muckleroy, Tom Singletary, Richard Fulton, Dean Tillman, and Mark Snellgrove) have been involved with the program over the past 15 years.

For more information, contact the ULM Lake C. Oxford Natatorium at (318) 342-5315 or LeBlanc at (318) 323-5141.

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