U.S. Masters Swimming Dorothy Donnelly Service Award

Recipient:	Bill Meier
Year:	2014
LMSC:	New England

Bill promoted and hosted Adult Learn-To-Swim programs via grants from the USMS’s Swimming Saves Lives Foundation for the last two years. He was so successful at the Bard College Pace Maker Swim Club that he received a $5,000 grant from the SSL Foundation to develop and support adult swim lessons throughout New England. He created New England’s "April is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month" campaign. Under Bill's leadership, eight New England Masters teams conducted Swimming Saves Lives programs during the year, using Masters Swimming volunteers to teach over 400 people how to swim. The Swimming Saves Lives Foundation has officially adopted Bill’s "April is Adult Learn-to-Swim Month" concept as a national campaign. At Bill's urging, the governors of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont proclaimed April as "Adult Learn-to-Swim month." Bill’s dreams and vision greatly expanded awareness of U.S. Masters Swimming’s program.