At Swim Lessons With Mary, our mission is simple: to empower families with safety and confidence around water through fun, focused, and effective private swim lessons. This year, we’ve been blown away by the generosity of our community and the support of national organizations that share our passion for water safety.

We’re proud to announce a major milestone in our journey, thanks to a powerful partnership and a generous grant, more families than ever will be able to access life-saving swim lessons. Here’s how it’s all happening:

Partnering with Hope Floats Foundation

In March 2025, we officially joined forces with the Hope Floats Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to saving lives by providing scholarships for swim lessons to children in financial need. The foundation partners with high-quality swim schools like ours to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn essential water safety skills, no matter their background or financial situation.

Through this partnership, we’re proud to offer need-based scholarships to families across our service areas, including Greenville and Spartanburg, SC, and Charlotte, NC. These scholarships help cover the cost of lessons so children can gain confidence and skills in the water that could one day save their life.

We are honored to stand alongside Hope Floats in this vital mission and incredibly thankful to everyone in our community who has helped make this possible. To learn more about our partnership check out this blog post. 

Stepping into the Future with Step Into Swim

This summer, we received a generous grant from Step Into Swim, a national initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance. Step Into Swim is focused on one thing: creating more swimmers and saving more lives. Through strategic funding, the organization empowers swim schools across the country to provide free or low-cost swim lessons to children who may otherwise go without.

Their mission deeply aligns with ours, and we’re beyond excited to receive their support. This grant enables us to expand our scholarship offerings and reach even more families who need access to critical swim safety education. We’re proud to join a network of changemakers who are committed to reducing drownings and promoting lifelong safety in and around water.

Fundraising Success & What’s Coming Next

None of this would be possible without YOU, our incredible community of families, instructors, and donors. This past May and June, we hosted our first-ever fundraising initiative: Swim for Hope. Thanks to the commitment of our instructors, and the generosity of our donors, we raised an incredible $1,600 for our scholarship fund. That money is already helping to put swim lessons within reach for children who need them most.

We want to give a huge shoutout to our team for going the extra mile and to everyone who gave from the heart. Your impact is real, and it’s already rippling out across our community.

But this is just the beginning. We’re currently planning two exciting new fundraising campaigns and we can’t wait to share the details soon! Think fun, creative, and full of heart. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you don’t miss the big announcements!

Ready to Dive In?

Whether you’re a family looking for support or a community member looking to give back, there’s a place for you in our mission.

Apply for a scholarship:
hopefloats.foundation/apply-for-assistance

Make a donation:
givebutter.com/SWIMLESSONSWITHMARY

Follow along for fundraising announcements and stories from the pool:
Instagram | Facebook

Together, we are building stronger swimmers, safer families, and a community that believes in the power of giving back. Thank you for being part of this journey.