HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — The City of Harrisonburg is offering a new, free swim lesson program to Harrisonburg City Public Schools students in grades kindergarten through second.

The program, called Swim for Sadie, will reportedly teach both fundamental water safety and basic swimming skills and aims to instill a love of swimming as well as create opportunities for kids to build friendships.

Registration for upcoming Swim for Sadie swim lessons will take place in-person at the Registration & Kick-Off Event on Friday, May 29 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Westover Pool.

This event, which is exclusively open to HCPS students in grades kindergarten through second and their families, will feature leisurely swimming, music, Kona Ice, and both healthy refreshments and goodie bags from Augusta Health.

Registration will highly prioritize families with second graders this year as it’s the only year current second graders will be able to participate before aging out of the program.

According to a release, Swim for Sadie was created through a partnership between Harrisonburg Parks & Recreation and the Deeble family in memory of their daughter, Sadie, who passed away on October 25, 2022, from sudden cardiac arrest.

“Sadie was an avid swimmer and loved spending time with her friends and teammates in the water,” Harrisonburg Parks & Recreation Director Brian Mancini said. “Swim for Sadie is one way that her light can continue to shine, both in spreading joy to the community and teaching life-saving skills to local kids.”

Find more information about Swim for Sadie at Swim For Sadie | City of Harrisonburg, VA.