This year, the SPLASHForward team has spent over 1,500 hours at meetings and public hearings advocating for the inclusion of a game-changing aquatic center to be included into the master plan for Bellevue Airfield Park. We have spent an equal amount of time connecting people with water safety resources, learn-to-swim classes and lifeguard training. We’ve partnered with multiple organizations to facilitate the expansion of water safety resources, and we are building the largest aquatics stakeholder coalition our community has ever seen. None of this important work would be possible without people like you.

2023 is going to be a banner year for SPLASHForward. For the past five years, we have existed as a volunteer run organization, but the volume of our efforts has grown beyond what our dedicated team can reasonably handle. So that we can best meet the needs of our community, we are growing our organization and hiring paid staff members to drive our work for the first time. This means that generous support from our community is going to be more important than ever.

SPLASHForward has been awarded $15,000 from King County Parks for our Introduction to Aquatics & Water Safety summer camp

We are excited to announce our first grant award! In early November, SPLASHForward  was awarded $15,000 from King County to expand our summer camp and partnerships with Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue, Rainier Athletes, WA State Boating, and Samena Recreation and Swim Club. We are grateful for this opportunity from King County’s Healthy Communities and Parks Fund and our partners. This support will enable us to provide life-saving water safety education to 25 students, and to collaboratively solve the swim instructor gap which caused learn to swim waitlists of over a thousand people and limited programming at local pools this summer. 

If you would like to help SPLASHForward maintain our momentum in our work to build healthier, stronger, and safer communities by creating equitable access to aquatic facilities and programs that build essential life skills, please click here to make your tax deductible donation today.

With the holiday lights bringing brightness and joy, we are excited to share with you a few recent bright spots of our own. Be sure to read our 2022 bright spots article below!

Warmest wishes to you and your family as you celebrate the holidays!

With graciousness and gratitude,

Susan Pappalardo

Co-Founder, President

SPLASHForward

Joy & Light

Bellevue City Council Weighs In - December 5th

Watch highlights (4 min)

Our First Grant Award - $15,000 from King County Parks

What will you remember most about the camp?

"I will remember the fun I had with the people in this camp."

Campers rated the camp 4.5 out of 5 stars

100% said they improved their swimming skills and confidence

Our first TV commercial on KCTS 9

As a proud sponsor of KCTS 9's new Out & Back show hosted by Alison Mariella Desir our first ever TV commercial is now live. Alison is an activist, runner, and strong voice sharing hers and others stories here in the PNW to reclaim space in the outdoors and build greater access for our black and brown community. Watch for our commercial and catch Out & Back on Thursday evenings at 8:50pm on KCTS 9!

City of Kirkland - Site Exploration & Parks Measure Planning

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