The Afterschool Alliance (www.afterschoolnow.org), supported by the Ad Council and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, are running a public service ad campaign that appears to ridicule Masters swimmers. According to Alliance’s website, “These PSAs use humor to communicate the importance of taking action to support afterschool programs. The campaign includes TV and radio spots, newspaper ads, billboards, web banners and more.”
One print ad has a facial portrait of a smiling, senior gentleman in a pool, obviously a happy swimmer, with swimming goggles on. Superimposed over the portrait are the following words: “There’s nothing more REFRESHING than neglecting our nation’s YOUTH.” At the bottom, the ad continues to say: “When I don’t support afterschool programs, I feel so relaxed and carefree. It’s like I’m doing nothing at all! Unless you call depriving 15 million kids something…”
You can download a copy of the ad from the following website:
www.afterschoolnow.org/print_ads.cfm
Parents
Former Member
I also sent a protest. It looks like a very low-budget operation, which may explain the strange choice of images and slogans.
Jeff: I think a lot of us swimmers support rec and school swimming (and other sports and activities) for our kids and the community--for example serving on the rec team board, doing the volunteer timing, stroke and turn, providing social functions, hiring coaches etc. Swimming parents tend to promote swimming for the entire family, and that ends up translating into huge volunteer contributions to the youth of the community. I don't agree that awareness needs to be raised in the way it was. There are ways to expand conmmunity involvement, but those ads are very negative.
I also sent a protest. It looks like a very low-budget operation, which may explain the strange choice of images and slogans.
Jeff: I think a lot of us swimmers support rec and school swimming (and other sports and activities) for our kids and the community--for example serving on the rec team board, doing the volunteer timing, stroke and turn, providing social functions, hiring coaches etc. Swimming parents tend to promote swimming for the entire family, and that ends up translating into huge volunteer contributions to the youth of the community. I don't agree that awareness needs to be raised in the way it was. There are ways to expand conmmunity involvement, but those ads are very negative.
