The goals of the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, other than set a world record, were to teach children to respect water and be comfortable in the water.

“This event wants to create awareness that swimming lessons save lives,” Abby Sturmer, Cape Girardeau Central Municipal Pool aquatics coordinator, said.

Cape Girardeau had 56 children — from age 3 to about 15 — register for the Friday event at the pool. The free lesson consisted of a simple curriculum: Swimmers stuck their faces in the water and blew bubbles, bobbed in the water, floated on their backs and stomachs, rolled over while floating, pushed off the wall and kicked.

The swimmers seemed more concerned with having fun than learning safety.

“I’m like a motor boat,” one child said as he kicked his legs in the water.

Marvin Hamilton took his son Jaylin, 11, to the event so Jaylin could learn a skill for a summer activity. Hamilton said he learned to swim as a young child and taught Jaylin’s older sister. He does not have as much time as he did because he’s been working shifts at Procter & Gamble.

Tina and Robert Macklem took their 3-year-old, David, for the lesson. Robert Macklem, who taught children to swim at Boy Scout camps when he was a teenager, was in the water with David for the entire lesson. Tina Macklem said learning to swim is a necessity for her family.

“We have a pool at home, so we’re always in the water,” she said.

The majority of the children at the event came from the Boys and Girls Club Camp.

Boys and Girls Club staff member Ashley Huntley said trips to the pool are a weekly routine for the camp, but children who participated were at different skill levels.

Christian McNew, 8, talked about his ability to do backflips and front flips (definitely not a part of the curriculum). Amari Neal, 7, said she did not know how to swim.

Even advanced swimmers could take advantage of getting back into the pool free of charge, with municipal pool staff waiving the $2.54 admission fee for the rest of the day Friday.

More than 700 pools and aquatic centers were registered to host a World’s Largest Swimming Lesson event, according to a World’s Largest Swimming Lesson organization news release. Spokeswoman Aleatha Ezra said the World Water Park Organization that sponsors the event expected about 45,000 participants in the event across 24 countries. The event set an official world record with 36,564 participants in 2014, Ezra said. An official count for this year’s event will not be known until July 6, she said.

“We already know the total is well into the thousands,” Ezra said.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

Pertinent address:

1920 Whitener St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.