Summer Learn-To-Swim Program Culminates With Celebration Of Children’s Successes

ST. THOMAS — Smiles and laughter were the order of the day this past Friday as 40 young campers enjoyed the Sixth Annual International Capital & Management Company (ICMC) Summer Learn to Swim and Enrichment Camp closing celebration at St. Thomas’ Magen’s Bay Beach, a  press release the firm issued on Monday has made known.

Parents and guardians alike came out to celebrate the young campers’ success both in the water and out.

“For the past six years we have offered this important program for the children of the community,” explains Cornel Williams, ICMC President. “With many of our young people unable to swim here in the Virgin Islands, we felt that it was important to ensure that we were able to share the lifesaving skills of swimming and water safety to our young campers.”

Highlighting the Red Cross platform of water safety and swim instruction, the skills taught included boating safety, basic first aid and community safety, basic water safety, acclimation to the water and technical stroke instruction.

Summer learn-to-swim campers listen to instructor underneath a tent at Magen’s Bay.

“Children come to the program with a wide range of ability and we build on them all,” says Karen Nelson-Hughes, ICMC Director of Community Relations. “But most rewarding is when we see those who feared going to the water’s edge not wanting to leave the water by program’s end.”

The six week camp, which required just a $75 administration fee for participants, also included a host of afternoon enrichment activities at the Long Path/Garden Street Community Center to include, soccer, tennis, chess, martial arts, rocket building, theater and dance, and much more.

“It was our hope that the young participants be offered the opportunity to not only learn the importance of water safety, but also enrichment activities that they may not otherwise have access to,” explains Williams. “It’s a program that has proven to be highly engaging for the young attendees with a highly impressive success rate for our young swimmers.”

Parents and guardians looked on proudly as the campers came up one by one to accept their swim medals, Red Cross progress booklets and offered the audience a taste of some martial arts and dance routines learned during their six week program. The afternoon culminated in a shared lunch as well as an exciting beach Olympics activity before the group headed back to the center.

Sponsored by ICMC in collaboration with Total Camp Experience, the program boasts a 100% success rate each year as each of the program’s participant’s achieve swimming success.