Cass Swim builds water safety skills as community works to secure program future

Fifty fourth-grade students from Sam Adams Elementary School spent time in the pool and on Diamond Lake this week building swimming confidence and practical water safety skills through the YMCA of Greater Michiana’s Cass Swim program. 

Now in its 13th year, Cass Swim has served more than 750 students, providing over 4,900 hours of swim instruction and water-safety education. The program gives fourth graders access to swimming instruction regardless of their families’ circumstances, helping them develop skills that are especially important in a community surrounded by lakes and waterways. 

Students participate in five days of instruction, beginning in a pool before taking their skills to the Diamond Lake Yacht Club lakefront. YMCA aquatics staff teach practical water safety skills, including Swim, Float, Swim, which helps children learn to alternate swimming and floating until they can safely reach the side, and Jump, Push, Turn, Grab, which teaches students how to safely exit the water. 

“Cass Swim gives these students skills they can carry with them for the rest of their lives,” said Denise Peters, chief operating officer for the YMCA of Greater Michiana. “But we’re also giving them a safe place to face a fear, step outside their comfort zone and discover what they’re capable of. That confidence can carry into so many other parts of their lives.” 

Sam Adams Elementary School teacher Allison Hill has seen the impact firsthand during her six years participating in Cass Swim. Students who arrive unsure or even afraid of the water can leave with a different sense of what they are capable of, she said. 

“When kids come out here and realize, ‘I can do this,’ that confidence doesn’t have to stay in the water,” Hill said. “Maybe they can try something else that’s difficult, participate more in class or become a better learner. It helps build confidence, community and a more well-rounded student.”

Building a program to last

Cass Swim began with Diamond Lake residents Jeanne Jourdan and her late husband, Tom Swartz, who believed local children should have access to swimming and water-safety instruction. Working with the YMCA and other community partners, their idea grew into a program that has become a longstanding tradition for Cassopolis students. Jourdan remains a passionate advocate for Cass Swim, hosting several days of instruction each year in her own backyard pool. Close friends Tom and Jill Vihtelic joined the effort six years ago and have since become community leaders for the program, helping spearhead fundraising and volunteer efforts alongside Jourdan. 

Last year, the YMCA, Cassopolis Public Schools and Michigan Gateway Community Foundation launched an effort to create a permanent source of support for Cass Swim through a $200,000 endowment. The “Fill the Lake” campaign has raised approximately $145,000 toward that goal, leaving $55,000 to go. 

At $200,000, the endowment is expected to generate approximately $8,000 in annual support, covering most of the program’s current cost. The permanent funding source would significantly reduce the program’s reliance on annual fundraising while helping support instruction, transportation and other expenses. 

“Before we started talking about an endowment, we asked the school how important Cass Swim really was to its students, and the response was overwhelming,” said Jill Vihtelic. “This has become an experience teachers and students carry with them throughout the school year. Fill the Lake is about making sure future generations of Cassopolis kids have that same opportunity.” 

Organizers hope to continue growing the endowment over time, potentially creating opportunities to bring the program to more students, classes or schools throughout Cass County. 

Community members interested in supporting Fill the Lake can donate through the Michigan Gateway Community Foundation at MGCF.org. Click “Donate” in the top menu, then select “Cassopolis Swim Program Endowment” from the fund dropdown.