Happy Birthday, Joani! 🎉

For more than 25 years, Joani has dedicated her life to teaching children how to swim, building confidence in the water, and helping families feel safe. What began as lessons in her own backyard has grown into Swimming Safari Swim School: a thriving community resource in Northeast Florida where thousands of children have learned life-saving swim skills.

Joani is not only a leader in her field but also a mentor, a mother, and a friend to many. Now, Joani is using her milestone birthday to give back in a super meaningful way: by raising funds for The Eric Bass Memorial Swim Lesson Scholarship Fund at Swimming Safari, ensuring that children who could not otherwise afford lessons get the chance to learn how to swim.

About The Eric Bass Memorial Fund 💦

Eric Bass was a cherished member of the Swimming Safari team, who had an immense love for the water, and brought joy to those around every day, both in and out of the pool. Swimming Safari named their scholarship fund in his memory, so that we can all continue to "swim it forward" for years to come, just as he would have.

About Hope Floats 💙

Hope Floats partners with swim schools like Swimming Safari across the country to provide scholarships for families in need. In fact, Swimming Safari is one of the top Hope Floats scholarship providers, nationwide, year after year! Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children under five, but participation in formal swimming lessons reduces that risk by up to 88%. Your gift in honor of Joani's birthday will help carry forward her mission of making water safety accessible to every family.

Celebrate Joani Maskell's 75th Birthday!

This year, we are celebrating a remarkable milestone for a remarkable woman. Joani Maskell, owner and founder of Swimming Safari Swim School, turns 75!