The Riverbrook Regional/Wilton YMCA announced on Friday, June 27, a transformative $1.5 million multi-year grant from ASML to support swim safety education, flood damage recovery and expanded programming for individuals with special needs. The announcement was celebrated at a ceremony on the beach beside the Y’s outdoor pond, a site hard hit by flooding almost one year ago.
“This $1.5 million grant is going to transform our community and also provide safety for those who need it the most,” YMCA CEO Christine Freedman said. “This grant will impact so many lives, but it will save lives as well.”
Local and state officials — including Wilton’s State Sen. Ceci Maher and State Rep. Savet Constantine, along with Norwalk’s State Sen. Bob Duff (Majority Leader), State Rep. Kadeem Roberts and State Rep. Dominique Johnson — joined YMCA and ASML leaders at the event.
The grant will fund free accredited swim lessons for over 3,300 Norwalk first graders during the life of the partnership. Freedman underscored the life-saving impact the grant can have with data, noting that drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths in the U.S., with 4,000 drowning deaths each year, or 11 people each day.
“Today, 11 people are going to die from drowning. And not only that, children of color have a higher incidence of drowning than those of white children, but anyone can drown. No one should, but we can do something about that, and we are doing something about that,” she said.
In a moving anecdote, she recounted the story of Jordan, a 10-year-old boy who overcame his fear of water through the Y’s early swim access program. “That smile on his face said everything. He was filled with confidence, and we knew the program had to continue.”
As part of the grant, the YMCA also plans to launch a youth workforce initiative related to water safety. “We plan on training Norwalk High School students with lifeguarding and swim instruction so they become employees throughout the community as well,” Freedman added.
Funding will also support the YMCA’s Special Olympics swim team and special events to welcome more people into the YMCA’s programs.
The grant follows catastrophic flooding in August 2024 that heavily damaged the YMCA’s campus. ASML’s generosity will also support capital improvements, including maintenance of the Y’s outdoor aquatics area, which serves more than 2,000 local residents.
“ASML knows that when communities thrive, they will thrive too. So we are thriving together, and we are so [grateful] for your support,” Freedman said.
ASML — Caring for the Community
ASML has become a vital partner to several nonprofit organizations in Wilton. Brian Amero, ASML’s Program Manager for Community and Society Engagement explained to the event attendees how that commitment is an important company value.
“Being part of a community means not only caring for our own employees, but for those beyond the role of our campus,” Amero said. “Our partnership… will ensure that this great organization continues its important legacy as a cornerstone to the communities of Norwalk, Wilton and Redding.”
The company is doing that not just by talking the talk, but by walking the walk. ASML has pledged over 1,400 hours of employee volunteer service over the three years.
After the announcement, Amero shared with GOOD Morning Wilton how the flooding sparked the deeper collaboration with the YMCA — with the fortuitous coincidence that his global department leader was visiting Wilton from the Netherlands at the time.
“Shortly after the flooding, we had an opportunity to take them here on site to see firsthand the damage,” he recalled. “Part of the conversation just surveying the damage and understanding what we can do to help the Y was also a conversation around water safety.”
That exchange revealed cultural contrasts. “My colleagues in the Netherlands are surprised that [swim safety] lessons are not something we’re teaching to every student at the elementary or even the primary level. That’s something that happens there culturally,” Amero said.
Timing was everything.
“The impact happens locally, but involves decisions that are made globally,” Amero said. “So to be able to have our team and some of those decision makers who don’t live in this community, don’t live in this country, to actually be here and to experience these things, see these challenges firsthand, is really important.”
A Life-Saving Mission
YMCA Board Chair Susan Goldman called the grant “a life-saving investment in our children, our communities and our shared future.”
“At the YMCA, we believe that every child deserves a chance to feel safe and confident in the water, regardless of their background or financial circumstances,” she said. “This grant empowers us to break down barriers, reach underserved communities, and ensure that water safety is not a privilege but a right.”
Goldman described ASML’s support as “a ripple effect of safety and equity that will be left for generations.”