EAST HARTFORD – Norwalk-based Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation has donated $5,000 in swimming lessons to the Glebrooke Outdoor Sports Center as the summer swim season starts.
Stew Leonard Jr. and his wife Kim, who own and operate Stew Leonard’s grocery store, presented Rose Rainville, who operates the sports center, with a $5,000 check representing the donated lessons to 400 children who participate in programs at Glenbrooke.
“My dad is Ralph Viola,” Rainville said. “He passed last July. He was responsible for designing both these pools (at Glenbrooke) in 1963 when he was 32 years old. He went on to maintain the pools until he was 80. He was adamant and so passionate about swimming lessons.
“Needless to say, the swimming lessons that Stew is donating will be given to the children in memory of my father.”
East Hartford Mayor Connor Martin, who was also on hand Monday, June 9, in front of the sports center pools for the presentation, stressed how vital the sports camps are to local children.
“I have to give credit to Rose Rainville,” the mayor said. “Her family has been operating this camp much longer than I have been alive serving thousands of students, teaching them how to swim, offering them additional options when it comes to camp. Glenbrooke offers a wonderful alternative to students and also building those relationships that come with going to camp.”
Stew and Kim Leonard pointed out to young parents how important it is to be vigilant when their children are around a pool and most importantly teaching them to swim.
“Right now we are in drowning season,” Stew said. “Unfortunately, we had report, a Tik-Toker, who had a 3-year-old slip into a pool and drown. Kim and I will get a half dozen calls this summer from tragedies. They’re unspeakable. Losing a daughter, a little child, is probably one of the most devastating things that can happen in your life.”
He described how he and his wife lost their 21-month-old son, Stew “Stewie” III, in 1989.
“It happened to the two of us where somehow our son slipped in the pool when we were all here” (pointing to the side of an inground pool), he said. “No one noticed him in the two or three minute window, and he drowned. How did that happen?”
Kim added how important it is for parents to communicate when they are around a pool with a young child.
“Super important – don’t be on the phone,” Kim said. “And communicate who is watching the child. It’s important to teach your children to ask for permission before going in water.”
Stew Leonard Jr. gave credit to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who was at Glenbrooke on June 9, for his work on garnering funds for swimming lessons for underprivileged children.
“We have one swim school in Norwalk and we are teaching 1,200 students a week,” Stew said. “Since we created our 501 (c) 3 in the 1990s, our big icon has been Sen. Blumenthal. He has helped us raise over $1 million for needy children that can’t afford to take swim lessons.”
The senator told members of the press June 9 how heartwarming it was to see children learning to swim and be comfortable in the water
“When they do learn, it’s maximum joy,” Blumenthal said. “Drowning is preventable. 4,300 people are likely to die from drowning, and almost 1,000 will be children. The biggest cause of death for children 1-4 is drowning.”
In 1990, Kim and Stew founded the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation in memory of their son. Since this time, the Foundation has raised $6 million for water safety awareness and education initiatives, including funding hundreds of lifeguard trainings and 10,000 free or low-cost swim lessons for children in need every year.
