South Queens, NY – New York State Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato hosted the leader of the New York State Assembly, Speaker Carl Heastie, during his visit to the Rockaway Peninsula. The two attended a swim lesson hosted by the Rising Tide Effect to see the impact the program has on local residents. Earlier this year, Pheffer Amato once again allocated the needed funding to secure free swim lessons and water safety education to children (and adults) throughout the 23rd Assembly District.

During the visit, the Assemblywoman and Speaker Heastie saw kids being taught how to tread water in the pool of the Ocean Park Apartments, along with how to swim the front crawl/freestyle and the backstroke. After the lesson, Pheffer Amato and the Speaker presented a $25,000 check to Rising Tide Effect founder and CEO Kate Krause. The funding will be used to support the organization’s mission to teach children how to swim and prevent drowning. The Rising Tide Effect has had tremendous success throughout the Rockaway Peninsula as they have taught over 800 children how to swim and educated 1,200 individuals about water safety - in part from funding Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato has allocated during her time in office.

“It’s great to have Speaker Heastie come to Rockaway and observe the impact this funding has on our community. We are surrounded by water and it is imperative that our children, and adults, learn how to swim and possess basic water safety skills. It is my pleasure to provide funding to the Rising Tide Effect because Kate and her team are making an impact on families on the Rockaway Peninsula,” said Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato.

“Learning to swim is a critical life skill that remains out of reach for too many New Yorkers,” said Speaker Heastie. “I’m honored to join Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato to see the incredible work Rising Tide Effect is doing to ensure socioeconomic status has no effect on a child’s ability to swim.” 

“Having Speaker Carl Heastie visit our program was a significant milestone for the Rising Tide Effect. It highlights the growing momentum for change in water safety and swimming education. It’s essential to recognize that the progress we are seeing today has been built on the steadfast dedication of champions like Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato. Her unwavering commitment to water safety over the years has laid the foundation for programs like ours to thrive and reach those in our community who need it most,” said Rising Tide Effect Founder Kate Kraus.

Drowning is the number one cause of death in children under 4 years old and has been something the Assemblywoman has actively worked to address. Pheffer Amato wrote and passed the first-ever bill to require parents of newborn children to watch a video on the dangers of drowning before being discharged from the hospital, mirroring the decade-old law on watching a video on Shaken Baby Syndrome. In addition, the Assemblywoman passed legislation to create the first-in-the-nation “Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning.” The Commission, which is made up of experts from throughout New York State in the field of swimming and water safety, is tasked with analyzing childhood drowning and proposing constructive ways to implement action that could combat this terrible problem. Pheffer Amato is also the leading legislator to push for water safety education to be included in public school curriculum.