Governor Hochul: “Drowning is the leading cause of death for one- to four-year-olds in our country. And the second leading cause of death for 5- to 14-year-olds. Think about that. If children knew how to swim, there'd be thousands of more young people growing up in our communities. More families intact, enjoying life. It's every parent's nightmare to think that that could happen.”
Hochul: “The State will contribute $12 million, the city committed $4 million, and we'll ensure that the pool will be open for testing next summer and for swimmers the following summer. So, how does that sound? We also are going to have more other, more options as it starts getting really hot and we have to take care of our people and we're launching a $30 million fund to deploy pop up pools, above ground pools that can combat extreme heat. At block parties, parks, and events when the weather really requires it.”
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled NY SWIMS: the New York Statewide Investment In More Swimming, the fourth proposal of her 2024 State of the State. Recognizing that drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and that climate change will increase extreme heat events, NY SWIMS will build out municipal pools in high-need areas, connect New Yorkers to the State’s rivers and lakes, deploy pools in urban environments, and invest in State parks and pools. It will also promote initiatives to help more New Yorkers swim safely by addressing the statewide lifeguard shortage, increasing swimming instruction, and increasing amenities at pools and beaches.
VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of the Governor’s remarks is available here.
PHOTOS of the event will be available on the Governor’s Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Let's give another huge round of applause to Lucas, who did an amazing job. Lucas Rosado. Well done, Lucas. So articulate and composed, and so happy to be out of school. That was great.
You know, as I unveil my fourth proposal of my State of the State, I'm really delighted to be here at the Bank, as it's finally known as, hosted by Children's Aid.And this is an opportunity for us to focus on vital opportunities for our youngest New Yorkers to learn how to swim, but also as Lucas said, learn sportsmanship and friendship and develop new relationships and stay alive.
It's been an ambitious week for us so far. On Tuesday, we announced our consumer protection and affordability agenda. On Wednesday, we talked about getting back to basics when it comes to reading. Yesterday, we focused on moms and babies and how we're going to focus on maternal and infant mortality. And during my State of the State on Tuesday, you'll hear more details about some of the critical issues facing New Yorkers, focusing on crime and mental health, two areas that Mayor Adams and I are laser focused on.
But today, since it's Friday, let's talk about something a little more fun, a little more light-hearted, but it's still a big issue. It's an important one because it's an issue that we talk about that is fun, we can make a splash with it, but it's also how we can save more lives. We're launching New York Swims. A bold effort – you guessed it – to get New Yorkers swimming. We're going to invest millions of dollars to build new pools and swimming facilities all across the state to help every New Yorker learn how to swim and keep people safe in and around the water.
And I do want to thank the partners who have made this happen and are so supportive, starting with our great mayor, Mayor Adams. Thank you for being such a proponent of helping young people learn these skills because we've lost too many young people. There have been too many stories, especially here in the city, of young people who did not know how to swim. They go off one day and never come home and their families are just absolutely ripped apart. And the Mayor knows this, and that's why he's here focusing on getting one of his proposals over the finish line.
Phoebe Boyer, the President and CEO of the Children's Aid Society. Thank you, Phoebe, for inviting us.
It's always great when our Congressman's in the house. We've had some amazing announcements. Adriano Espaillat, thank you. Yes, the Second Avenue Subway is happening. You can stop asking me about it for the first time in a decade. Senator Cordell Cleare, thank you for a great partner. Senator Robert Jackson has joined us. Down at the end, holding up at the end of the aisle there. Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos. Manny's here. Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs has joined us. Thank you, Eddie. Great to see you. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. Thank you, Mark. All my other colleagues in local government and city council. And Heidi Reiss, you're going to hear from Aqua Beba, who's going to be talking in a couple minutes. And all the advocates. Give a round of applause to the advocates. We've been fighting for this for a long time.
You think about New York State, we had the most beautiful waterways. It's where we enjoy families and gatherings and I think about Long Island's beautiful beaches, Orchard Beach, learned how to salsa there – sort of. Coney Island, I was there right at the beginning of the season. The water's a little cold, but for someone from Buffalo, it kind of felt warm. Brooklyn's McCarren pool park, and all the way from here all the way up to the North Country and the Great Lakes. And so, we have so many bodies of water, number one, and we love to recreate around them. And I think about that, as I think about my Parks Commissioner, Erik Kulleseid. He also has been very focused on focusing on our state parks and how we can bring more swimming to them.
But these are sanctuaries that foster physical fitness, relaxation, fun. And having come across the hottest summer on record last summer, anybody remember that? It's hard to think about that today. It's a place that people can finally get some refuge from the scorching heat. It's so necessary. And we're going to have more and more of that with the ravages of climate change continuing as it is.
But sometimes, if you don't know how to swim, what you think is a refuge, that break, can become a death trap in an instant. It has, tragically, for far too many New Yorkers. As I mentioned, yesterday we talked about how we can keep more infants alive right after they're born. Let's focus on kids as they get older, keeping them safe. You know, drownings in our state have reached record highs in the last couple years, claiming 230 lives in 2021 alone, the last year we have numbers for. All of them are preventable. Every single one of those young people should still be alive today. And children are particularly vulnerable. Drowning is the leading cause of death for one- to four-year-olds in our country. And the second leading cause of death for 5- to 14-year-olds. Think about that. If children knew how to swim, there'd be thousands of more young people growing up in our communities. More families intact, enjoying life. It's every parent's nightmare to think that that could happen. But here's the challenge. The pain is not shared equally among the population. Low-income communities, communities of color, have suffered decades of disinvestment in swimming facilities. A lot of people didn't think it mattered.
Some communities have phenomenal facilities, like I just saw here today, saw some wonderful kids having a great time learning how to swim. But this is not available in every community. And there's dwindling options for lower, low cost or free swimming lessons. And now we also have on top of this, the Mayor remembers this from last year, we have a national lifeguard shortage. So, even when we do have the bodies of water, we have people who want to learn how to swim, we have a shortage of lifeguards. So, the problem has been compounded. Now we've given state lifeguards a raise. We stepped up training, but still municipalities are struggling to recruit and train new instructors. That means fewer swimming lessons are being taught to young people, less programming than ever before.
And what happens is, in communities of color where they're not learning how to swim, there's a higher rate of death due to drownings. Black Americans are one and a half times more likely to drown. Black children are three times more likely to drown. It doesn't have to be that way. We can stop that. We have to do that. And I saw a story last summer that still shakes me to my core when I think about this homeless family that was trying to escape the heat. They were in a Bronx shelter. They had to leave because it was undergoing inspection as well, and the residents had to clear out.
It was one of those heat waves, it was about 90 degrees. And the mom said, “Let's make it a day at the beach with the kids.” She took her teenage sons to Coney Island. They thought it was an oasis, a place to escape, feel connected as a family, get out of the shelter system. The two brothers went swimming together in a place where the beach was closed. And all of a sudden, one of the boys disappeared in the waves. Bystander tried to rescue him. Another tried, but the current was too strong. And as a mom, I cannot imagine what it felt like to be the mom on the shore, watching your child drop to the ground. Boy was a tenth grader. He had a lot of potential.
We can't let that happen anymore. We can't let that happen. We've got to end this tragic cycle. It's not just about making people love the water, it's making sure they're safe, they know how to handle that current. They know what to go into. How to handle that when there's swept with the waves. There are techniques you can learn.
So, what I want to do, as I've talked about in every one of my planks in my proposal, let's focus on common sense solutions to everyday problems. This isn't complicated, my friend. So, I'm putting forth a plan to dramatically expand access to swimming, particularly in underserved communities. We're calling it New York SWIMS. That stands for Statewide Investment In More Swimming. I like this. It's going to expand our recreational opportunities, and this is how we keep families safe.
And first, we're going to embark on a program of pool construction, unrivaled since FDR's work progress administration. We all know what FDR did, right? He was a Governor first, I live in the house he used to live in. He was Governor a short time, but he started building here. And he personally, turned to swimming for therapy. We all know he had polio. He knew the therapeutic benefits. When he had his polio diagnosis in 1921, he began swimming three times a week. They say it helped him a great deal. And within a few months, he started regaining some of his strength back.
So, he actually installed a pool in the little greenhouse behind the Governor's residence. That's where I swim every day. And I'm reminded that no matter what the challenges that I face as Governor may be, FDR had polio on top of everything else. So, that puts everything in perspective for me, every day when I have a chance to be in that place.
So, swimming became an important part of FDR's life and we also decided that we needed more pools in the city. He constructed 11 pools with people, he wanted to put people back to work during the depression, in the Works Progress Administration. So, I say, “Let's follow that model. Let's build at least ten more across the state.” And this year we'll announce a $60 million capital grant program to fund ten new landmark swimming pools in underserved communities. We're going to make that commitment right now.
Things have changed a lot since FDR. You know, where are we going to put a pool? A lot of New York has been built up since FDR was Governor and then President. And since then, engineering has made a lot of strides. So, let's start getting creative. So, this is something I know the Mayor loves. We're investing another $60 million to develop and install innovative floating pools. Have you seen floating pools before? This is how you open up your rivers and waterways to the public. Yes, right over there. I was going to point with this arm, but let's – so, I'm pleased to announce that Mayor Adams and I are joining forces to advance a long stalled, much debated, but it's an innovative floating pool concept right over there.
It's called +Pool and allows New Yorkers to swim in clean, filtered water right under the city skyline. The State will contribute $12 million, the city committed $4 million, and we'll ensure that the pool will be open for testing next summer and for swimmers the following summer. So, how does that sound?
We also are going to have more other, more options as it starts getting really hot and we have to take care of our people and we're launching a $30 million fund to deploy pop up pools, above ground pools that can combat extreme heat. At block parties, parks, and events when the weather really requires it.
We'll make historic investments in swimming in our State Parks. There you go, Mr. Commissioner. He's very happy, just in time for the centennial celebration. You know that New York State has the oldest State Parks in the nation. What's the oldest state park? Right, Niagara Falls. Come on, everybody. Go visit Niagara Falls, too.
So, today we're showcasing two of those products here as well. So, we can do this. We're restoring the Jones Beach East Bathhouse, the last major piece of infrastructure that has not been revitalized. And at Sojourner Truth State Park, we're constructing a floating swim structure in a quarry lake. Amazing. And that's further transforming what was a site for cement production and brick making into a dynamic public space.
But pools and beaches need lifeguards, as I said, right? You can't open pools and swimming places without them, and you can't teach people to swim without a lifeguard. So, what we're going to talk about is how we can have a grant program to help municipalities overcome these shortages and encourage wider access to public beaches and pools.
We're going to double the number of safety programs at all parks. State parks and also directing SUNY to open their doors to the public to use their facilities to train more lifeguards as well. So, we're hitting on all strides, my friends. We're trying to find every way we can also want to fund transportation to get to the pools, so we can reduce the barrier for children who have access to pools and beaches. So, that's what we're looking at.
And I want you to know how important swimming is to me. I love to swim, as you know. When I'm not working out in the gym doing dumb things. But there's a story I want to share with you that I've never told before – a little bit embarrassing, that's all right. A lot of things I'm proud of being a mom, raising a couple of great kids, proud, proud to be Governor. But growing up in a family where my brothers were those superstar athletes, you know, captains of football, baseball, basketball team, all four brothers, always working, walking in the door with these big trophies or ribbons or championships.
And here I am very unathletic, I really felt that I paled in comparison. My mom was never taught to swim. She didn't know how to swim, and my dad did though, he thought that all six of his children should learn how to swim. So, our pool had a swim team. I was eight years old, and they didn't have someone to compete in the ten-year-old boys and under competition. So, someone said, why don't you go over and try it out? I said, “I don't know, what have I got to lose, right?” Even back as an eight-year-old, it was kind of a risk take. Why not? I was persuaded to jump in and give it a try. I want to tell you this. I'm really proud. That day, I won my first and only athletic medal in my entire life.
Here's the catch. It was second place and there are only two of us in the pool, but that's serious. It's still a medal, right? So, my view is, no matter what the odds are, take the risk, jump in, and now I have a medal to show for it. And so today, swimming is still one of my greatest pleasures.
I love it. I want every person to love it. I want every child to have access to this and I want to keep more kids alive. Let’s spare families the tragedy that too many have come to know. So, with all that, I'm ready. Are you ready to jump in? Let's jump in. Let's do it. So, and my great partner, my partner in doing everything we can to make this City vital, safer, stronger, and let's keep more kids alive and teach more kids to swim, and that is our great Mayor, Eric Adams.