SoCalGas Delivers $50,000 Check to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center for Water Safety Program

The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena received a check from SoCalGas representing the utility’s $50,000 grant that will go to the Center’s Water Safety Program. 

The check was presented earlier this month at a simple event at the RBAC where Andy Carrasco, SoCalGas Vice President of Communications, Local Government and Community Affairs, handed the check to RBAC President and Executive Director Jimmy Francis, with RBAC and SoCalGas staff witnessing.

The grant is intended to bolster the Water Safety Program, which focuses on providing swimming lessons and water safety education to third-grade students in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD).

The Center’s Water Safety Program has become a vital resource for the local community, with over 25,000 students having participated in it since its inception. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many fifth-grade students were unable to participate in the program for about two years. The grant will help bridge this gap by enabling the RBAC to include more than 200 fifth graders, ensuring they too have access to essential water safety education.

“Together, we can work towards ensuring that everyone in our community has access to water safety,” Francis said at the Monday, Sept. 18 event.

Carrasco said SoCalGas remains committed to supporting local communities and driving positive change. 

“Investing in programs that promote safety is just one way SoCalGas supports the well-being of communities,” he added. 

Participants in the Water Safety Program receive comprehensive water competency training, including 15 swim lessons, beginner dive and water polo instruction, transportation to and from the RBAC, all necessary teaching equipment, water safety workbooks, family swim passes, and an invitation to a celebratory family picnic.

SoCalGas said the $50,000 grant is part of its ASPIRE 2045 commitment, which aims to support initiatives benefiting the communities it serves. SoCalGas said it has also been investing in programs that promote environmental sustainability, education, and community development in underserved areas.

The utility serves over 21 million consumers across Central and Southern California. 

The Rose Bowl Aquatics Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping community members invest in their health and wellness through aquatic educational, competitive, therapeutic, and recreational programs. 

The facility boasts two Olympic-size pools, a therapy pool, a weight room, conference rooms, locker rooms, a café, and an aquatics merchandise shop. It also hosts world-class swim, dive, and water polo teams, as well as various programs including water aerobics, warm water exercise, lap swimming, learn-to-swim lessons, land-based fitness, and yoga.