BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled a fourth proposal in her 2024 State of the State Address with a multi-million-dollar grant for swimmers.
It is called New York Swims and the goal is to expand access to safe swimming and address equity gaps and recreational opportunities.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun spoke with a town supervisor about how this grant will be a game changer for its only town public pool.
It is a $150 million grant, focusing on underserved communities and areas prone to extreme heat in New York State. The money would build 10 new landmark public swimming pools.
West Seneca has had a swimming pool for close to 50 years. During the summer months, it is a popular attraction for the city but the pandemic has made it difficult to hire lifeguards and keep up with maintenance. At one point the town almost had to close it for good.
Town of West Seneca supervisor Gary Dickson said, "We decided last year, in 2023, to give it our best shot. We put everything into hiring lifeguards and were able to hire enough lifeguards so that we had a very successful season. We plan on building on that next year and the coming years."
This proposal would help them hire more lifeguards and be open for more days during the season for its 10,000-square-foot pool.
Dickson said, "Expanding ways to get people from underserved parts of West Seneca to the pool, maybe even something like a pool bus during the summer that could go around once an hour. It could pick up or drop off kids from those areas."
Kassahun also reached out to the Belle Center, located on Buffalo's West Side.
A spokesperson shared that this grant would help its center tremendously, saying in part:
"I applaud New York Governor Kath Hochul's announced Initiative to reduce the drownings of New York youth.
Here at The Belle Center with the help of our Partners we begin teaching swimming to our children at three years old. We want them to know how to be safe in the water and avoid waterways, like the Bloc Rock Canal where the current is often dangerous.
Our pool is an asset to the community, and available to the West Side and all of Buffalo. We face a shortage of Lifeguards and welcome any initiative that will help train more so that we can make our pool available for more hours of the week.
I want today's youth to be safe and to enjoy the many watersports available in Western New York."
Lucy A. Candelario
The Belle Center
Executive Director
To watch Gov. Hochul's full State of the State Address from Friday, click on the video below:
Drowning is the leading cause of death for kids ages 1-4. That’s unacceptable.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 5, 2024
Join me live as we launch NY SWIMS — a bold effort to get New Yorkers swimming and keep people safe in, on, and around water: https://t.co/IjSuKFHD01
