For many Pacific Palisades residents, the L.A. County Junior Lifeguard program has presented the perfect summer solution for youth, ages 9 to 17.
The program, which is affordable, especially for families that have more than one child, provides instruction in water safety, swimming, body surfing, surfing, physical conditioning, competition skills, first aid, lifesaving, rescue techniques, CPR and the use of professional lifesaving equipment.
The first session was supposed to run from June 22 to July 17, and the second session was set for July 20 to August 14. Unfortunately, on Wednesday this week, families interested in the program received the following letter:
“Dear Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard Families:
We’d like to thank you for your patience and support as we navigate this global health crisis. In early March we began to explore a number of options to offer a modified program for the 2020 summer season. However, we cannot have a practicable program that would be consistent with the current public health guidelines and recommendations. The safety and well-being of your children is of utmost importance to us. At the direction of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and our partners at the Department of Public Health, the decision has been made to suspend the 2020 Junior Lifeguard Program.”
The mom who alerted Circling the News to the cancellation said, “We’re supposed to keep our kids at home all summer. They’re not getting education, they’re not getting exercise. They’re spending all day baking and eating, they’re getting fat and dumb, how is that supposed to be good for them?”
Humans portrayed in the movie “Wall-E-2” from too much food, screen time and too little exercise.
Taking away the junior lifeguard program is the most ridiculous thing I have heard so far. They would be in the SUN and SALTWATER
This is sad.