Courtesy: Triangle Aquatics
The Cary Alumnae chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority partners with the Triangle Aquatic Center for a four-year partnership providing free swim lessons to local students.
Cary, NC – The Theta Lambda Sigma Cary Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated is proud to announce the Theta Lambda Sigma Swim 1922 Scholarship, a four-year partnership with the Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC). This four-year partnership will award up to eight scholarships per school year to students attending public schools in Western Wake County.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among children aged 1-14, drowning is the second highest cause of unintentional injury death. The fatal unintentional drowning rate for African-Americans aged 5-14 is nearly three times higher than white children in the same age range. In swimming pools, this number increases to nearly 5.5 times higher drowning rates. The CDC found that these disparities could be associated with the basic lack of swim skills among some minority populations.
To help counteract these statistics, Sigma Gamma Rho created the Swim 1922 initiative. Swim 1922 is a national partnership between Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and USA Swimming with the goal of increasing swim participation and decreasing drowning rates in minority communities. Since 2014, the Sigma Gamma Rho and USA Swimming organizations have worked together to affect change and influence the community through clinics on water safety and swimming techniques.
We’re thrilled to build a local partnership with TAC to provide free opportunities for youth in our communities to learn the importance of water safety,” says TLS Swim 1922 Committee Co-Chair, Tameika Graham, “as well as the opportunity to introduce another form of fun and fitness through swimming. Triangle Aquatic Center’s mission, history, and reputation of being deeply embedded in our local community make them an ideal partner for this endeavor.”
Up to eight Swim 1922 scholarships will be awarded each year from 2017 through 2021 to students attending public elementary, middle, or high schools in Cary or surrounding Western Wake County areas. To qualify students must receive free or reduced lunch through the NC School Food Nutrition program and must write an age appropriate essay about topics such as water safety or inspirational swimmers. Scholarship winners will receive swimming related support items and one complete session of group swimming lessons provided by TAC.
“TAC was founded to address the health, safety, recreation, and competition needs of our local Triangle community,” says TAC Program Manager Jenn Patetta. “When we learned about Swim 1922, we immediately saw the alignment of our organizations and knew that a partnership could really make a difference in our communities.”
The first round of scholarships was awarded in June 2018 to six students attending Apex Middle, Carnage Middle, Turner Creek Elementary, and Highcroft Elementary Schools. The scholarship application period for the 2018-19 school year will open in February 2019. For more information visit the program’s website at www.tls1922.org/swim1922.
About Triangle Aquatic Center
The Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) was incorporated in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) and opened to the public 2007 in Cary, NC. TAC was founded in order to build and operate public aquatic facilities for the health, safety, recreation and competition needs of Triangle citizens and aquatic organizations. TAC is now the largest nonprofit public aquatic facility ever built without one dollar of tax funding or subsidies. TAC is home to one of North Carolina’s largest swim teams, the USA Swimming affiliated Titans.
About Theta Lambda Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Theta Lambda Sigma (also referred to as the Cary Alumnae Chapter) was chartered in 1997 with a goal of bringing quality community service and positive representation to southern and western Wake County. In line with the sorority’s motto, “Greater Service, Greater Progress”, they continually endeavor to provide quality service to the community. The chapter’s current program focus centers on community involvement, mental and physical health initiatives, and programs aimed at educating and empowering youth.
About Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Seven educators founded Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. on November 12, 1922 at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The sorority has more than 500 chapters in the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Korea and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is the mission of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. to enhance the quality of life for women and their families in the U.S. and globally through community service, civil, and social action. Our goal is to achieve greater progress in the areas of education, health awareness, and leadership development. Our members, affiliates, staff, and community partners work to create and support initiatives that align with our vision.
“TAC was founded to address the health, safety, recreation, and competition needs of our local Triangle community,” that’s just bogus. Tac was founded by kicking 2 teams out of their own pool that they paid for so tac can make more money. And 8 free lessons? 8? If they really wanted to help they’d give a lot more. This is all a publicity ad. However, I do respect it, even though I don’t like it.