ATLANTA — Ludacris is becoming as legendary in Atlanta for his selfless devotion to the community as he is with spitting machine-gun-quick lyrics on wax in the studio.
Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges, singer Keri Hilson (“Black Girl Rock,” “Knock You Down”), and Roberta Shields, the president of the Ludacris Foundation, joined several Olympic swimmers and Make a Splash to promote National Water Safety Month and to teach young people how to swim and enjoy aquatic activities.
Ludacris and the Olympians hosted the lessons on behalf of the USA Swimming Foundation’s “[usaswimmingfoundation.org] Make a Splash” program. Make a Splash offers free or reduced price swim lessons at partner pools, throughout Atlanta and nationwide. The program, seeks to combat drowning, which is the second-leading cause of accidental death in U.S. children, and most prevalent in African American and Hispanic communities, where up to 70 percent of kids do not know how to swim.
In addition to Luda, Hilson and Shields, the event also featured:
- Cullen Jones, Two-time Olympic gold medalist and first African American male to hold a swimming world record, on behalf of the USA Swimming Foundation;
- Rowdy Gaines – Olympic gold medalist, on behalf of the USA Swimming Foundation
- Maritza McClendon – Olympian and first woman of color to make the US Olympic Swimming Team and win a medal, on behalf of the USA Swimming Foundation
- Blake Michael – Disney Channel award-winning actor, Atlanta-native, state swimming champion, and nine-year USA Swimming member;
- Debbie Hesse – Executive Director of the USA Swimming Foundation
