As we near the start of the summer swimming season, the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ (WLSL) aims to reach out to families, with the key message that Swimming Lessons Save Lives™.
Drowning remains the leading cause of accidental death of children aged one to five and the second leading cause of accidental death for children aged one to 14. Everyone in the aquatics industry is responsible for working toward eliminating drowning deaths, which has prompted the World Waterpark Association (WWA) and its partners, plus hundreds of host locations, to support the WLSL event each year.
All waterpark operators can host the WLSL on June 18th, and the benefits are numerous. Not only will you draw new visitors to your facility, but your attraction has the potential to receive positive media exposure. If you’re worried that you don’t have enough qualified life guards, combining resources with local swim clubs or recreation centres could be an option. As well as benefiting the WLSL event, a new partnership could be the start of many opportunities for the future.
The WLSL event began in 2010 and many waterparks have run very successful events, including: Wild Wadi, Dubai; Aquaventure at Atlantis the Palm, Dubai; Merlin Entertainment’s Alton Towers Waterpark, UK; and Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool, UK.
Sandcastle Waterpark worked with local community school groups and a charity that focuses on children with disabilities, resulting in 100 children and parents attending their 2012 WLSL event. Thanks to strong pre-event promotional efforts, through posters and mailers locally, social media, internet banners and waterpark signage, the event received coverage online, on the radio and in local newspapers.
To register your waterpark as a host location, visit WLSL.org by May 19th. The website offers a complete host location guide, key dates, check lists, sample media releases, posters, flyers and promotional materials.
Not only will you be helping people be water safe, you’ll be positioning your park as a concerned community leader in water safety.
