16202: (Hermantin)Miami-Herald-Lauderdale helping to start water-safety program in Hait (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Lauderdale helping to start water-safety program in Haiti
BY ASHLEY FANTZ
afantz@herald.com


A PLAN TO SAVE LIVES: Members of the media gather Wednesday for a press
conference at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale,
where the new initiative was announced. JOE RIMKUS JR./HERALD STAFF


Every year, hundreds of children drown in Caribbean nations, primarily
because they are rarely taught how to swim.

The city of Fort Lauderdale and the International Swimming Hall of Fame hope
to change that. On Wednesday, Mayor Jim Naugle and International Swimming
Hall of Fame officials announced a program to develop a free public aquatic
safety program for Cap Haitien, Haiti's second-largest city.

''This is very positive for both cities, but also to children in Haiti who
die every year because they don't know how to swim,'' said Eddy Remy, 38.
The president of the Haitian American Business Council, Remy was a liaison
between South Florida and Cap-Haitien government officials.

Supported by international grants, a not-for-profit fundraising arm of the
city's parks and recreation department, and private donations, the
Cap-Haitien Health & Water Safety Initiative hopes to build the country's
first 50-meter pool. The island city was chosen because it's already Fort
Lauderdale's sister city.

Sixteen Fort Lauderdale lifeguards, beach rescue and medical professionals,
plus two U.S. Coast Guard officials, will travel to Cap-Haitien Aug. 10 for
four days to start the program. Hall of Fame vice president Dr. John
Fletemeyer has performed years of research on drowning and will join them.

''It's unclear how many drownings occur there, but this is a country a [few]
hundred miles from us where the economic and political climate is so bad,
they hop on a raft to come to the U.S.,'' he said. ``We have a chance to go
there and teach them the fundamentals of surviving in the water and what not
to do.''

Lauderdale-by-the Sea artist Kimberly Peterson contributed 10 paintings
depicting swimming safety for an instructional booklet. One of them shows a
group of Haitians on a boat that's breaking apart -- a lesson not to board a
rickety vessel.

Other paintings teach kids to stay away from trash on the beach, swim with a
friend, and avoid rip currents.

On hand at the Hall of Fame was Cap-Haitien Deputy Mayor Joseph Romany.

''It means a lot to Cap-Haitien,'' he said through a translator. ``To know
that this program will benefit my city and its children not just now but for
years to come.''

It isn't the first time the Hall of Fame has reached out to other nations.
It has led swimming missions to Jordan and India and participated in the
National Aquatic Summit, which gathered 100 nations, said Hall of Fame
president Sam Freas.

''We helped Ireland build their first 50-meter pool and sent portable ones
to South America,'' he said.

Freas is hoping to get a pool from alum Adolph Keifer, who owns the
country's largest pool manufacturer. Keifer is already donating equipment
for the swimming lessons, Freas said.

Cap-Haitien Mayor Wilmar Innocent, Remy and others will support the program
once it's up and running, he added.

''Once they really understood the number of deaths it will help prevent,
that was a powerful thing,'' Freas said.

_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail