Michael Phelps – a 14-time Olympic gold
medalist – today teamed with Visa Inc. (NYSE:
V), a Worldwide Olympic Partner for more than two decades, to present a
Play Every Day jump-start grant to the YMCA of Greater New York. The
funds will help the YMCA expand participation in its 2nd
Grade Swim program, purchase new swimming equipment, and also support
aquatic facility expansions in Brooklyn and Queens.
Today’s announcement is a continuation of Visa
and its family of Olympic athletes ongoing commitment to the Partnership
for Play Every Day – an effort to raise
national awareness and support for increasing and improving the spaces
where America’s youth can play.
“For America’s kids,
the time to play and swim is today,” said
Phelps. “We need everyone’s
help in providing all kids with safe and well-equipped spaces where they
can exercise, have fun and maybe even begin to pursue their own Olympic
dreams.”
The Partnership for Play Every Day brings together organizations
including nonprofits, businesses and government agencies to ensure that
all children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
Federal funding for local parks, playgrounds, trails and open spaces has
decreased in recent years, and one of the partnership’s
objectives is to increase the number of settings where kids can engage
in physical activity.
“As a longtime Olympic sponsor, we’re
committed to empowering current and future Olympic team hopefuls to
reach for and achieve their dreams,” said
Hans Morris, president, Visa Inc. “We believe
in the Play Every Day call to action and saw an opportunity to involve
Michael in an initiative that addresses a growing issue and will
introduce more kids to Olympic sports.”
Visa has had a long standing relationship with Michael Phelps through
its Team Visa program, featuring him in Olympic marketing materials
around the world including four national television commercials, and
partnering with him to grow the sport of swimming around the world
through domestic and international goodwill tours.
This marks the fourth jump-start grant presented to the partnership
since Visa began supporting and promoting the Partnership for Play Every
Day initiative at the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games in
August 2007. Previous grants were made in New York, Washington D.C. and
San Francisco.
“We are delighted that Visa, Michael Phelps,
and the YMCA understand the importance of teaching children how to swim
and to have a respect for water at an early age,”
said Dennis M.
