NESPA Foundation Continues Commitment to Step Into Swim 

Step Into Swim, an initiative of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance dedicated to creating more swimmers through safe swim education, announced that the Northeast Spa & Pool Association Foundation has continued its partnership as a Diamond Level supporter with a $100,000 donation. The NESPA Foundation presented this donation to Step Into Swim during the 2026 Pool & Spa Show powered by NESPA in Atlantic City, New Jersey, last month.

“Our partnership with Step Into Swim is a testament to what we can achieve when the industry unites for a common cause,” says Jeremy Hasbrouck, president of the NESPA Foundation. “For the past three years, our matching program has successfully quadrupled funding, turning our members’ generosity into swim lessons. The NESPA Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to drowning prevention, and we are thrilled to continue this journey with Step Into Swim to make water safety accessible to all.”

Following the trade show, the foundation also presented a $35,000 Step Into Swim grant to the Atlantic City Boys & Girls Club, which will support the organization’s learn-to-swim programming this year.

“The NESPA Foundation has become Step Into Swim’s largest supporter by dollar amount,” says three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines, PHTA vice president of partnerships and development, who leads the Step Into Swim initiative. “They have shown up year after year to rally support from their members and raise awareness of the lifesaving importance of swim lessons and water safety. Step Into Swim could not reach this level of success in the Northeast without the support of NESPA, its executive director Dominick Mondi and the NESPA Foundation board.”

Step Into Swim and its supporters provide the lifesaving skill of learning to swim and raise awareness of the pool and hot tub industry’s role in improving public health and safety. In 2025, Step Into Swim raised over $1.5 million, which provided grants across 43 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Grand Cayman and Canada and funded swim lessons for nearly 20,000 children. The initiative has gifted more than 500,000 swim lessons since 2012. Step Into Swim is funded through partner contributions, which are integral for advancing the mission. Every dollar donated goes directly to learn-to-swim programming. 

To learn more, visit stepintoswim.com.