From Fear to Freedom
One of my most memorable moments as a volunteer was watching Terrell, a six-year-old soccer star I tutor during the school year, face the pool at the start of our summer swim lessons. Terrell was terrified and would only enter the pool if I held him every step of the way. The fear on his face mirrored my own at his age, when I nearly drowned in a rip current alongside my grandfather. That memory is what drives me.

These kids love sports - we play soccer and football together - yet many are terrified of the water. In Florida, where water is everywhere, this is a crisis. Drownings are the number-one cause of death for children in our state.
 

To help kids take the first step, I hold their hands one-by-one and promise to keep them safe. Slowly, the fear fades. Soon, they are floating, kicking, and swimming. By the end of the summer, Terrell was swimming across the deep end while the other kids cheered him on. Watching a child shift from fear to confidence in the water is incredibly powerful.
 

Scaling the Impact: The Splash Foundation

Three years ago, I began volunteering at the West Augustine Kids Safe Zone, a close-knit community built by Mr. Greg White and Mrs. Dot Williams. During my first summer, 25 kids had to share just one or two certified swim instructors. We simply lacked the resources for every child to learn to swim.
 

Seeing children left behind, I founded the Splash Foundation to fund more swim instruction. I spent weekends drafting grant applications and pitching store managers, securing vital funding from corporate partners like Costco, Target, Publix, Panera, and The Pollination Project. This allowed us to fund two additional summer instructors and offer gift card incentives for kids who mastered swimming.
 

Taking the Fight to Tallahassee

But I quickly realized that local action wasn't enough to solve a statewide crisis. Florida’s swim voucher program stopped at age four - with most under-resourced children, including autistic children, tending to be a little older when they learn to swim. None of the kids that I taught qualified.
 

At 15 years old, I decided to change the law. I built this website, partnered with regional YMCA aquatics leadership, and brought an evidence-based presentation to state leaders. I met with Florida Representative Kim Kendall to author HB85, expanding voucher age-eligibility from four to seven and prioritizing autistic children, who account for one-third of Florida's drowning deaths.
 

When the bill stalled without a Senate sponsor, I refused to give up. After weeks of unreturned cold calls, I secured a meeting with Senator Clay Yarborough, who agreed to introduce our companion bill, SB428. Lobbying House and Senate committee members on weekends and after school, I testified before the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee and successfully navigated all opposition to keep the bill moving forward.
 

A Historic Win

The incredible happened: HB85/SB428 unanimously passed the Florida House 108–0 and the Senate 36–0 HB85 Florida House.
 

This legislation expands access to life-saving swim instruction for roughly 20,000 children annually. This experience completely transformed my view of leadership. I learned that while I cannot personally hold every child’s hand as they enter the pool, we can build the structural frameworks to ensure they all have the opportunity to learn to swim.
 

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Thank you very much for your support!
 

Will Moffett, Founder