Low income families living in Los Angeles are now eligible for free swim lessons and affordable lifeguard training thanks to a $408,000 Operation Splash Kaiser Permanente Community Health Grant to the city’s Aquatics Division.
Kaiser Permanente and the city kicked off this initiative June 8, enabling thousands of low-income youths and adults to participate in this program through the year 2026 at all Los Angeles public pools. For more information, please visit www.swimla.org or www.laparks.org.
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“Summer is the perfect time to get everyone moving,” said Dr. Danielle Flowers, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “Swimming is an excellent way to stay cool, have fun and get a great workout without putting too much stress on your joints. It’s a wonderful activity that helps to build muscles, improve cardiovascular health, and is a great way to combat childhood obesity.”
Kaiser Permanente developed Operation Splash in 2006 to ensure that children and adults in low-income neighborhoods have access to safe aquatic programs and exercise. The initiative helps reduce preventable drowning incidents and fosters overall well-being through swimming, which improves cardiovascular health and mental wellness.
Since its inception, Operation Splash has reached approximately 306,600 youth and adults throughout Southern California. The program was originally developed as part of Kaiser Permanente’s Healthy Eating Active Living initiative to make lives better, fight obesity, reduce health disparities and make healthy food and physical activity part of everyday life.
The initiative also supports the “Rethink Your Drink” campaign to promote healthier alternatives to sugary beverages, and educates participants on the importance of choosing water to stay hydrated.
For 2024 through 2026, Kaiser Permanente has allocated $767,000 in Operation Splash community health grant funding for six public agencies across Southern California: The City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department, the City of Riverside Parks and Recreation and Community Services Department, the City of San Bernardino Parks and Recreation and Community Services Department, the City of Santa Ana Parks and Recreation and Community Services Agency, the Desert Recreation District, Indio; and the City of Bakersfield Department of Recreation and Parks Department.
