Registration begins on Monday, June 11, 2012. Scholarships will pay, in whole or in-part, for one, two-week session per child in beginner Learn-to-Swim programs. Scholarships will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis at the following participating pools:

• A.D. Barnes Park Pool o 305-665-1626
• Arcola Park Pool o 305-691-5104
• Gwen Cherry Park Pool o 305-691-2439
• Helen Sands Park Pool (South Dade) o 305-248-1386
• Little River Park Pool o 305-696-7651
• Naranja Park Pool o 305-258-4534
• Palm Springs North Park Pool o 305-558-3762
• Rockway Park Pool o 305-223-8742
• Sgt. Delancy Park Pool o 305-238-5692
• Tamiami Park Pool o 305-223-7077
• Tropical Estates Park Pool o 305-221-5041
• Miami Gardens' Betty T. Ferguson Community Center Pool o 305-622-8000, Ext. 1232.

Interested participants are asked to call the respective pools for more information.

The Swim for Jenny Memorial Fund was created in honor of Jenny Hong Nguyen, a 12-year-old South Florida girl who drowned in April 2011 after going into water too deep for her limited swimming ability. The Fund provides underserved and disadvantaged youth with water safety information and scholarships for learn-to-swim lessons.

Nationally, drowning is the second-leading cause of injury-related death among children ages one to 14. Florida has the second-highest number of drowning incidents in the United States, and Miami-Dade County leads the state in drowning deaths.

Scholarships were to begin in the summer of 2013, but after generous contributions from private citizens, corporate donors, as well as Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Joe Martinez and Miami-Dade County Commissioners Barbara Jordan (District 1), Rebeca Sosa (District 6), and Lynda Bell (District 8), a limited number of scholarships will be given out this summer.

Donation opportunities are as follows: Swim for Jenny Supporters (up to $499); Swim for Jenny Champions ($500-$999); Swim for Jenny Buddy ($1,000); Coach ($2,500); and Lifeguard (starting at $5,000). A donation of $30 will sponsor one* child, a donation of $150 sponsors five* children, and a donation of $300 sponsors up to 10* children (*number of swim lessons based on Miami-Dade County pool fees). All donations are tax deductible as allowable by law.

Among recent fundraising events was an evening tribute and donor recognition reception at the Deering Estate with friends and family of Jenny in attendance. Still to come, an upcoming iSwim for Jenny swimming event where participants swim a cumulative number of laps in a pool to raise funds for the Swim for Jenny Fund; and the upcoming Larry Little Legends Golf Classic scheduled for December 7, 2012 at Crandon Golf Course, hosted by Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Larry Little

For more information on how to take part in Swim for Jenny events, to make a donation, or for a list of pools, please visit Swim for Jenny.

About the Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award and winner of the 2009 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade Parks call 3-1-1, or visit Miami-Dade Parks.