Mission Valley Swims is the signature program of the Mission Valley Aquatic and Fitness Center. Drowning is the leading cause of death in the United States for children under the age of 14. This program will provide free swimming and water safety classes to every 2nd and 3rd grade student in the Mission Valley in order to provide our youth with skills to reduce the risk of death from drowning, as well as to give them the opportunity to learn about the benefits of regular exercise in the form of the lifelong skill of swimming. Mission Valley Swims started as a 4 year pilot project in 2018 funded by a challenge grant issued by the Greater Polson Community Foundation. Generous donations from community and business leaders in Polson have provided swim and water safety lessons for Linderman School 2nd and 3rd grade students for the past 2 years. Polson Rotary has donated funds for the past 2 years to provide year-long swim passes for every 3rd grader that completes the swim lessons. The Polson School District has fully embraced this program by making it a part of the curriculum, communicating with parents and providing transportation and supervision. Funding is now being sought to provide a swim program for other valley schools. The goal of Mission Valley Swims is that every child in the Mission Valley will be able to participate in this program for years to come.
