Free swim lessons at Plant City YMCA
The Plant City Family YMCA and nine others in the Tampa Bay area are offering free swim lessons from March 18-21, hoping to turn around a disturbing trend.
According to the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, 11 children drowned in Hillsborough County in 2018 — more than any other county in Florida and more than the 2016 and 2017 totals combined. The YMCA and Florida Blue Foundation are trying to reverse the upward trend.
The Y’s Safety Around Water program is a free event open to children of members and non-members. Kids age 3-12 can learn skills to get comfortable in the water and reduce their risk of drowning with the four-day course. Participants must bring their own swimsuit and towel and must be present on the first day of the program to continue.
Pre-register at tampaymca.org/programs/swimming/water-safety.
Sign up for YMCA summer camp
The Plant City Family YMCA is accepting registrations for its new and improved summer camp program.
All Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA locations have undergone changes to their summer camp programs, bringing more fun and educational activities to the table and offering before-care and after-care activities. Activities include swimming, science, outdoor education, nature encounters, visual arts and more. Hillsborough County Public Schools will provide free breakfast and lunch as part of the Summer Food Program.
The program runs from June 3 – August 2 and is open to all kids in the community ages 18 and under, including Y campers. To register, visit tampaymca.org/letscamp.
Try out for Durant hockey
Students from Durant, Plant City, Strawberry Crest and Brandon high schools can take their talents to the hockey rink starting later this month.
The four schools unite on the ice under the Durant Hockey Club banner in the Lightning High School Hockey League, which is currently comprised of teams from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota and Polk counties. Boys and girls looking to give hockey a try, or looking to keep their skills sharp when not playing at the club level, are asked to come out to the Brandon Ice Sports Forum from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. on March 18 and 25 to assess their skills.
Anyone interested in being evaluated for the team must first become registered by USA Hockey. That process costs $40 per person and can be completed online at usahockeyregistration.com/register_form_input.action.
See last week’s issue of the Plant City Observer and the article, “Durant Hockey Club to host player evaluations,” for more information.