CIGNA and the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department’s Aquatic Section are celebrating 20 years of making summers fun and safe for children with the CIGNA Summer Water Safety Program. CIGNA Summer will officially kick off on Saturday, June 4, with “Fiesta del Agua,” a free swim event for kids ages 5-15. The event will include games, safety demonstrations, CPR tips from the Phoenix Fire Department, health tips from CIGNA, the Buddy Bear water safety mascot, and more. The event will take place from 2-5pm at Maryvale Pool located at 4444 North 51st Avenue in Phoenix.
“For the past 20 years, CIGNA and the City of Phoenix have provided fun, educational ways for children to enjoy pool festivities while emphasizing water safety,” said Stephanie Gorman, president and general manager of CIGNA HealthCare of Arizona. “Since CIGNA Summer began, more than 50,000 Valley children and teens have participated in the program, learning not only about water safety, but also gaining invaluable leadership and character building skills.”
CIGNA Summer consists of five free programs that teach age-appropriate water safety. These programs include:
- Itty Bitty Beach Party –for kids ages six and younger with their parents
Friday, June 17
Roosevelt Pool, 6246 S. 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85042
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
602-262-6832Friday, June 24
Pecos Pool, 17010 S. 48th St., Phoenix 85048
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
602-534-9255Friday, July 8
Deer Valley Pool, 19400 N. 19th Ave., Phoenix 85027
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
602-534-1842
- Cub Club – A fun way for children ages seven to 9 to learn basic first aid and water safety skills. Participants meet two times a week for six weeks. The program starts Monday, June 13. Sign-ups begin Saturday, May 7 at 10:30am; available online only at www.phoenix.gov, click on “Pools.” Public Internet access is available at all City of Phoenix Libraries.
- Discovery Guards – This program, provided for children between 10 and 12, is a step into more detailed water safety. Participants meet two times a week for six weeks. Activities include: an introduction to CPR, basic first aid training and an introduction to lifeguarding skills. Sign-ups begin Saturday, May 7 at 10:30am; available online only at www.phoenix.gov, click on “Pools.” Public Internet access is available at all City of Phoenix Libraries. The program starts Monday, June 13.
- Junior Lifeguard Training – The program provides children between 13 and 15 the opportunity to develop leadership skills. First-year junior lifeguards will learn CPR/AED; second-year junior lifeguards will work toward the goal of employment. Participants meet 3-4 times per week for eight weeks. Participants receive swimsuits, T-shirts, certificates of participation and other incentives. The program starts Monday, June 13. Sign-ups begin Saturday, May 7 at 10:30am; available online only at www.phoenix.gov, click on “Pools.” Public Internet access is available at all City of Phoenix Libraries.
- Lifeguard Academy – This program, for participants who turn fifteen by July 30th, 2011 and who have previously participated in a CIGNA sponsored program, will train and certify candidates in lifeguard training, first aid and CPR with AED, in addition to providing candidates a professional orientation to the position of lifeguard. Participants will attend training classes for three hours each week at their home pools and for three hours each Saturday for seven weeks at their regional sites. The program starts Monday, June 13. Sign-ups begin Saturday, May 7 at 10:30am; available online only at www.phoenix.gov, click on “Pools.” Public Internet access is available at all City of Phoenix Libraries.
This year, CIGNA Summer is introducing “Lifeguard Academy”, which is available to teens 15 years of age and older that have participated in a previous CIGNA Summer program. The Lifeguard Academy will train and certify candidates in lifeguard training, first aid and CPR with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). “We know that many teens need good summer jobs and the ultimate goal of this new program is to train them to be lifeguards as well as increase their knowledge of water safety,” Gorman added.
“The importance of water safety cannot be emphasized enough, especially with water-related incidents on the rise as summer pool season approaches,” said Becky Hulett, aquatics supervisor with the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department. “Water safety is one of the most important skills we can give to children, parents, babysitters and other caregivers as it saves lives. CIGNA Summer provides an excellent opportunity for families to engage in summer activities and increase awareness of water, sun and personal safety.”
CIGNA Summer programs will begin on Monday, June 13. Sign-ups for these programs are available online only at www.phoenix.gov by clicking on “Pools.” For more information on CIGNA Summer’s free water safety programs and activities, including the Itty Bitty Beach Parties, visit www.cigna.com/cmgaz/community.html or contact the City of Phoenix Aquatics Department at 602-534-6587 or 602-262-6541.
About CIGNA
CIGNA (NYSE: CI) is a global health service and financial company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. CIGNA Corporation’s operating subsidiaries in the United States provide an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance. CIGNA offers products and services in 29 countries and jurisdictions and has more than 66 million customer relationships throughout the world. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. Such operating subsidiaries include Life Insurance Company of North America, CIGNA Life Insurance Company of New York, and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/rss. Also, follow us on Twitter at @cigna, visit CIGNA’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/cigna and listen to CIGNA’s podcast series with healthy tips and information at http://www.cigna.com/podcasts or by searching “CIGNA” in iTunes.
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