By Rob Adams
The pool at the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club was alive this past Saturday with the sounds of happy swimmers, and all of the noise was for a good cause.
The club, located at 4 Horseneck Lane, raised over $20,000 in its 13th annual Swim-A-Thon on Saturday, January 20th. The contributions from the community will go towards the Boys and Girls Club’s aquatics program.
“Our goal is $20,000,” said Jessica Rosa, Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich’s Aquatics Coordinator. “It was great to see so many in our community come to the club to encourage and support our members at our 2018 Swim-A-Thon. Some supporters were around when I was a kid. I thought that was really awesome.”
Rosa added that, with the yearly membership fee of $50, members can join the swim team, participate in special clinics, learn to swim and practice water safety, as well as attend lifeguard clinics.
“This was a great way to raise money for the kids,” she said.
Rosa fist came to the Boys and Girls Club when she was eight years old, and was a part-time staff member at Camp Simmons at age 16. The Southern Connecticut graduate said she grew up at the Boys and Girls Club, specifically in the pool.
“It’s a great hidden gem,” she added. “A lot of kids learn how to swim there.”
Don Palmer, BGCG’s Program Director, challenged donors, many of whom are community leaders and club alumni, to sponsor him for $25 in recognition of his twenty-five years of employment at the club. Swim-A-Thon guests and swimmers cheered for him, as he completed his twenty-five laps.
“It was a great morning for our members and myself to have the support from the club’s alumni and Greenwich community,” Palmer said. “I’m proud to have been a part of it.”
“Don’s incredible,” Rosa said. “I look up to him.”
Those in attendance were excited to swim for BGCG members. Employees from Stamford-based investment firm Titan Advisors swam over 300 laps with their children, and retired Lieutenant Rick Cochran swam 100 laps.
“The club’s aquatics program is incredible; I will do what I can to help make sure it continues to help our community’s children,” said Cochran.
Rosa said she loves teaching the kids to swim.
“I just want to boost their confidence,” she said. “There’s a lot of kids that don’t have a great home life or don’t have a great school life, and coming to the club helps them feel good about themselves and feel good about where they are.”
She further believes that people should learn to swim, calling it, “a life skill.”
“I think it’s something that everyone needs to learn,” she said. “Living in Greenwich – so close to the water – it’s a safety issue.”
To conquer fear of the water, Rosa focuses on safety, including how to get in and out of the water. She’s most comfortable in water.
“I was always on the boat,” she said. “I was always in the water.
“I even do laps [in the Boys and Girls Club pool].”
Keep an eye out for the club’s many upcoming events. The 3rd annual Dodge for a Cause dodgeball tournament is coming up in March, as well as the annual announcement of Youth of the Year. For more information, visit the club in person, or go to its website: http://bgcg.org/.
