Nation’s first Black-owned swim club, based in Delco, continues to help young swimmers get their feet wet

YEADON, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The country’s first Black-owned swim club, located in the heart of Delaware County, is continuing to help the next generation of swimmers make waves.

The Nile Swim Club in Yeadon received a $10,000 donation on Monday from water utility company Aqua to help continue and expand its No Child Will Drown In Our Town initiative. The free 10-day program teaches children swimming essentials.

Anthony Patterson Sr., Nile Swim Club board president, said it’s imperative to have programs like this in Black communities, as 69% of African Americans do not know how to swim.

“We teach these young children how to swim. They start out in 3 feet, and by the end of the 10-day course, they’re jumping off this diving board into 11 feet and swimming to safety,” he boasted. “We have a 99% success rate.”

Patterson said these swim programs cost about $30,000 to $40,000 per session, so Aqua’s donation is “greatly, greatly appreciated.”

“It was started to make sure people are safe around water,” added Aqua’s Krista Seng, “especially our youngest customers — our kids — and our communities of color, where we know there’s a disparity in the ability to be able to swim.”

The free swim programs at Nile start for kids as young as 3 months old. During the 2024 swim season, classes and lessons are free for children who live within the William Penn School District.

“Water safety is essential in our community and many children do not have the opportunity to learn how to swim. They don’t have pools in their neighborhoods or in their backyards,” said Josie Jones, who has spent her last 25 summers working as a lifeguard at Nile.

“My favorite part of the program is to see a child start from a non-swimmer to become a swimmer and ultimately become a lifeguard.”