Florida Laundry Owner Donates Swimming Lessons to Local Youth

Florida multi-store owner Tom Rhodes has always given back to his community through a variety of programs, such as washing blankets for a local faith-based outreach center or donating a percentage of his laundries’ profits to charitable organizations.However, Rhodes recently did something a little out of the ordinary. He popped for swimming lessons for 40 local kids.” I personally love the water,” said Rhodes, in an article in the Treasure Coast Newspapers. “I love to windsurf, surf, play at the beach with my family and swim laps in a pool to stay in shape. By offering swim lessons, I hope others who presently can’t swim will be able to enjoy playing in the water, and moms and dads won’t have to worry about their children’s safety when they go to the beach or to a friend’s house with a pool.” But the story goes deeper than that.The seed was planted about a year ago, when Rhodes volunteered at a Free Laundry Day event in Atlanta, sponsored by the Coin Laundry Association’s LaundryCares Foundation.” While all of the recipients were appreciative, one lady in particular was overcome with emotion at our gesture,” recalled Rhodes, the current president of the Florida Coin Laundry Association. “She said, ‘Now I can pay to have my son take swim lessons at the YMCA this summer.'” This woman went on to explain that drowning is a huge cause of accidental death among African-American children in the U.S. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional-injury death in the U.S. and is the eighth cause of death for black youth in America.” Wow, now I get it,” Rhodes said. “We hugged and shed a tear together, and I told myself that I should do something back in my hometown to help children learn how to swim.” And this summer, Rhodes – who owns seven Sunshine Laundry locations on Florida’s Treasure Coast – presented a check to the St. Lucie County Board of Commissioners in the amount of $2,000 for swim scholarships to be awarded to 40 local children.That’s making a difference!