EP #166 What Would Change If Every Child Learned To Swim

Summer fun in Fredericksburg can turn risky fast when kids are around pools, rivers, or the beach without strong water safety skills. We talk with Damaris Diaz and LaTasha Madison from Mu Omega Sigma, Fredericksburg Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, about a community based solution that is simple, practical, and overdue: making swim instruction accessible.

They share the story behind SWIM 1922, Sigma Gamma Rho’s national initiative launched to increase swimming participation and reduce drowning rates in Black and Brown communities. We dig into why limited access to water safety education is still a real issue, and how a welcoming, free swim clinic can help families build confidence before school breaks for the summer.

You’ll also get the on the ground details for Fredericksburg: the second annual SWIM 1922 clinic on Saturday, June 13 from 8 a.m. to noon at Dixon Pool, with registration on Eventbrite. We explain what happens during the clinic, including in water instruction plus a dry safety component, and how partnerships with Fredericksburg Parks and Rec and Tsunami Swim expand what kids can learn in one morning.

We also zoom out to the chapter’s broader community service, including their presence at the local Juneteenth event on June 6 at North Stafford High School, where they help provide backpacks and school supplies for K to 12 students. If you want to connect, find Mu Omega Sigma on Facebook and Instagram, and look for the royal blue and gold at community events. If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a parent or educator, and leave a review so more Fredericksburg families can find these resources.

Damaris Diaz and LaTasha Madison

Mu Omega Sigma, Fredericksburg Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority 

sgrhomqs1922.com

SGRho.MQS@gmail.com

Mu Omega Sigma Chapter, P.O. Box 8513, Fredericksburg, VA

Transcript

Welcome To FXBG Neighbors

Speaker 2 0:01

This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 0:13

Welcome back to another episode of the FXBG Neighbors Podcast, where we share the stories of our favorite local brand. I have a special episode for you today. We have two special guests. We've got Damaris Diaz and LaTasha Madison joining us. And they are with Mu Omega Sigma, the Fredericksburg Alumnae chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. Damaris and LaTasha, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 1 0:42

Thank you so much for having us.

Speaker 0:44

I'm really excited to dive in and learn all about you and about your organization.

What Sigma Gamma Rho Does

Speaker 0:49

So let's start there. Share with us all about this organization.

Speaker 1 0:55

So Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated is one of the four sororities in the Divine Nine, which are the Black Fraternities and Sororities. We were founded in 1922 at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. And so we actually chartered here in Fredericksburg during the pandemic in June of 2020, despite having chapters all around the world and all across the country. And so it's really important for us to be able to give back to the Greater Fredericksburg area community by various service projects and initiatives, scholarships, and just being visible and present and figuring out how we can best support the Greater Fredericksburg community.

Why SWIM 1922 Exists

Speaker 1:39

Amazing. Well, thank you for all that you do. And let's let's dive uh deeper into some of those programs. So I understand one of them is called SWIM 1922. So tell us all about that.

Speaker 3 1:53

Yes. So SWIM 1922 is one of our sororities' national initiatives. So not just us here in uh Fredericksburg are doing this um event, but all over the United States and then um other countries are doing this event as well because we we definitely want to reach all that we can. So this program was started in 2012 to increase the participation and reduce drowning rates of our black and brown communities because um we knew that our black and brown communities had limited access to water safety. Um and so we wanted to make sure that that was something that we did for the community.

Speaker 2:41

Amazing. And so you have um an event coming up. Um tell me about that and how can the community support what

June 13 Clinic Details

Speaker 2:52

you're doing?

Speaker 1 2:54

Awesome. So our event is actually coming up. This is our second annual event. It's gonna be on June 13th, which is a Saturday, uh, from 8 a.m. until noon. And it's gonna actually run at Dixon Pool down off of Route 2 in Fredericksburg. And so um, there actually have been flyers kind of promoting it all over. We are on Eventbrite, so folks can register for the event there. Uh, we've had quite a bit of outreach to a lot of just youth organizations and local churches as well as local school districts, uh, because the goal with this being an open and free event to the public is to get as many youth there as possible. Uh, the target age range we're looking at giving swim instruction to is six to 12 year olds, uh, with the hope ultimately, as the program itself was founded in, just to create more opportunities and knowledge of water safety so that as we're going into summer break for a lot of kids from school, they can stay safe, whether they're at their local pool, the local river, the beach, or any other body of water.

Speaker 3:57

Amazing. So important. I just love what you're doing. And so uh, if I understand it right, the event is uh to raise money for swim instruction and safety for the children. Do I understand that right?

Pool Instruction Plus Dry Safety

Speaker 1 4:14

So the event actually it's a swim clinic. We've actually partnered our chapter with Fredericksburg Parks and Rec as well as Tsunami Swim, which is a local swim team here. Um, so there's really two components to the event. We have an in-water instruction where we will actually have instructors uh getting in the pools with students to help them learn the various basics of water safety, but there will also be a dry component around water safety instruction. Um, so folks can obviously make donations, which further the causes that Mu Omega Sigma are working towards, but this is really more about awareness and actual instruction for as many young people as we can get out to the pool that day.

Speaker 4:59

Gotcha. Amazing, amazing. So this is such a great opportunity for families to bring their kids and get them that instruction. Okay, I love that. And so if the the community wants to support you, I imagine that um, you know, donations are welcomed. Are there other ways that the community can get involved?

Speaker 3 5:21

So um, like we said, it's open to the public. So um anybody can come and participate. And once you get there and and see what we're doing, the good things that we're doing, you know, it it it it will make people want to support us the next time.

Speaker 5:41

Absolutely.

Meet The Program Co Chairs

Speaker 5:42

So I want to learn more about each of you. Uh tell me about your background, and um, you both have big hearts for wanting to help the community. So I want to understand a little bit more about you. So uh LaTasha, let's start with you. Tell us about your background.

Speaker 3 5:59

Sure. Um so um um I have been a member of Sigma Gamma Royal Sorority Incorporated for uh 27 years now. So it started when I was in college and um continues to this point and further because, like you said, I do have a heart for service, and that's what we're all about. Um currently I have been in the Mu Omega Sigma chapter for two years. Um, and Damaris and I are co-chairs of this program.

Speaker 6:30

Amazing, amazing. And Damaris, I want to learn more about you as well.

Speaker 1 6:35

Um, so like LaTasha, obviously, I'm a member of this illustrious sorority. Um, I have been in for nine years. I actually joined as an alumni member uh back in 2017. And so I've been with Mu Omega Sigma since they immediately following the charter. I probably transferred in about a month after the charter occurred. Um, by trade, both of us are very service-oriented people. LaTasha and I have both uh been educators for numerous years, uh, both English teachers uh for many years, and I'm currently in administration now. So I think for both of us, it's about finding ways to connect with young people, finding ways to connect with their families and the community, and just to let them know that there are so many positive things happening outside of the school community that folks should be aware of. And hopefully people coming to our event will just see another way to civically engage with the other members of their community and be able to potentially create partnerships that we can take into other avenues that the community could benefit from.

Speaker 7:39

Amazing, amazing. Well, thank you both for all that you do for our community. And is there anything else that you would like the listeners to know about your organization or

Juneteenth Backpacks And More Service

Speaker 7:52

about the event?

Speaker 3 7:54

Um, well, this isn't our only um event or initiative. Our uh sorority has several um initiatives, national initiatives that we participate in. So um things that we do locally, we do participate in um numerous walks. This past weekend we did the Unspoken Mothers Walk at Old Mill Park, and so we raise money for those causes as well when we do those walks.

unknown 8:24

Amazing.

Speaker 1 8:25

And I'd say on um, another activity that is very much geared towards the community and helping students, um, literally the weekend before the swim event um is the local Juneteenth event. Uh, we're gonna be at North Stafford High School. There's gonna be many vendors and community organizations there. Our organization is partnering um with the gentleman from Fredericksburg's chapter of Omega Psi 5 Fraternity Incorporated, and we'll be giving out backpacks and school supplies uh for students in K-12. And so while I know folks are just getting out of school and not necessarily wanting to think about school already, um I think just kind of with where the economy is, it may be helpful for families to come out and at least be able to knock some of those things off of their back to school list, knowing that that'll be coming sooner rather than later. So that's also another event that's free and open to the public on June 6th at North Stafford High School. That event starts at three. Um, we're the ladies wearing royal blue and gold. So please come check us out. We'd love to interact with you and say hello and make sure that your young ones are getting backpacks and things for the next upcoming school year.

Speaker 9:32

Amazing. Amazing. And so if the listeners want to learn more about all of these programs, if they want to connect with you, where's the best place to find you?

How To Find Mu Omega Sigma

Speaker 1 9:43

Uh we are on Facebook as well as Instagram. Uh you can literally just type in mu mu omega sigma and you will find us there. Uh, those are our primary platforms. And again, if you happen to see us or our tent or table at a community event, we typically have QR codes on our tables as well where folks can scan to learn more about us and connect with us. Uh, but we're kind of everywhere. So, you know, we would love the opportunity to just further connect with your listeners and any other members of the community.

Speaker 10:16

Amazing. Well, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing these programs with us. I really appreciate all that both of you do for our community.

Speaker 1 10:28

Thank you for having us. Thank you for having us.

Closing And Local Business Nominations

Speaker 2 10:32

Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to FXBG NeighborsPodcast.com.