On Tuesday, an announcement was made at the Ogden Municipal Building that Ogden City was the recipient of a $23,000 grant from the Government Employees Health Association, or GEHA, to provide 300 children in Ogden swimming lessons. The collaboration between GEHA and Ogden City is being called the Learn to Swim Program.

Mayor Ben Nadolski said the safety of Ogden’s children is a priority for the community.

“We are a city that embraces our youth, embraces their safety and prioritizes their safety in everything that we do,” he said. “That’s why, for years, our staff has been teaching swimming lessons in our community. We are trying to reach as many kids as possible, and the way that you reach more kids is to have more partners, more friends and more support from the community.”

He noted that swimming lessons have proven to be extremely beneficial to kids.

“Studies have shown that if you teach a child to swim, they are 88% less likely to drown,” he said. “That’s a big deal. We are doing this to save lives, and we’re saving the lives of our kids.”

Alexis Rolloff, chief innovation and strategy officer for GEHA, said this is the organization’s first time working with the city on a project.

“We’re really focused on addressing disparities in health care and creating generational health for our members and member communities,” she said.

As part of the $23,000 grant, she added, young swimmers will receive free swimming lessons, a swim towel, gender-appropriate swimwear and a waterproof backpack.

“This supports GEHA’s goal of supporting 3,000 students in 15 cities across America by the end of 2024,” she said. “We’re really grateful for the opportunity to collaborate and bring this opportunity to the children in your community.”

Nadolski also noted that this program will be available at the rebuilt Marshall White Center, which is set to open to the public in May 2025.

“This has been a yearslong endeavor for our city and our community to provide recreational services for our youth in our downtown to make sure we provide access to opportunities for recreation for all kids,” he said. “Regardless of your socioeconomics, regardless of the way you were raised, your background, your home, we want to make sure that we provide opportunities and access for kids.”

Further information on how to apply for the swimming lessons will be released at a later date in 2025.

Earlier in the day, GEHA also announced a $15,000 grant to expand the Dolly Parton Imagination Library into the Salt Lake City area during an event in Bountiful. The initiative will target early childhood literacy through the delivery of monthly educational books to children ages 0-5, including those in federal employee and military service communities.

The Centerville/Farmington Rotary Club is a partner of the Dollywood Foundation.