WESTON, Fla. – A casual restaurant chain and a community nonprofit are joining forces to save lives.
According to Florida Health, Florida was ranked the highest in the country for unintentional drowning deaths among kids ages 1 to 4. With a statistic like this, Hooters of Weston aimed to make a difference with fundraising.
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Each year, the YMCA’s Josh the Otter swim program provides 300 free swim lessons. The swim lessons teach kids how to flip over on their back, float and reach the side of the pool. Hooters is going to match up to $5,000 of funds raised at the restaurant from Friday, Mar. 8 to Sunday, Mar. 10.
“We are excited to partner with the Weston YMCA and help them fundraise at Weston Hooters and bring awareness to make sure every child has access to early lifesaving techniques should they fall into water,” said LTP Management Director of Marketing Kristi Quarles.
The Weston Hooters is offering various ways customers can help:
· With every purchase of a Hooters “Stay-a-Float” combo, which includes an ‘83 Rita and 10 Buffalo Shrimp, the restaurant will donate $15.
· The restaurant is offering Josh the Otter-themed gift baskets decorated by the Weston Hooters employees with merchandise for a donation.
· The restaurant is hosting a YMCA Friend Raiser on March 8. Twenty percent of all food and drink sales (upon showing the event flyer or mentioning the YMCA Friend Raiser) will be donated to the YMCA.
The Weston Hooters Girls will also bring additional awareness to the cause this weekend by wearing water-themed accessories and Josh the Otter stickers on their uniforms. Josh the Otter and Hooter’s mascot, Hootie, will be at Weston Hooters on Friday, Mar. 8, at 6 p.m.
In addition, during the week of Mar. 25 through Mar. 29, the Weston Y and all the Y’s in South Florida with pools will be hosting their annual Swim for Jenny week. Any child who has not been exposed to swim lessons will be given a free week of the Safety Around Water Program. Across these five days, participants will learn to flip on their back, float, and kick to safety – just like an otter.
“The Y of South Florida is doing everything we can to help change those statistics,” said John Antonelli, Executive Director of the Weston YMCA. “We have proven through these early intervention methods that the likelihood of drowning will be reduced by 88% should an accident occur in a pool, lake, canal, ocean, or even a bathtub.”
Weston Hooters is located at 2282 Weston Road. For more information about the YMCA of Weston, click here.