Duke Energy Foundation, City of New Port Richey Team Up for Summer Swim Safety

• $10,000 awarded to the City of New Port Richey for its Youth Scholarship Assistance program

• Program provides summer camp and swim lessons through scholarships for low-income families

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – In recognition of the May 15 designation as International Water Safety Day, Duke Energy Foundation announces a grant to the City of New Port Richey for swim lessons and summer camp scholarships.

“Safety is central to how we operate at Duke Energy. Providing water safety education through swim lessons is a fun but important way to keep children in our community safe this summer,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “We thank the City of New Port Richey for providing programming to families throughout the year and are happy to make these programs available to more children this summer.”

The City of New Port Richey is offering summer day camp to residents June 2-Aug. 8 this summer. Registration is available by calling the Recreation and Aquatic Center at 727.841.4560 or visiting www.citynpr.org. Limited spots are still available.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Duke Energy Foundation for supporting our efforts to keep kids safe and active all summer long,” said Kevin Trapp, assistant parks and recreation director. “This funding helps remove barriers for families and ensures more children can enjoy swim lessons and camp experiences that build confidence and lifelong safety skills.”

Below are the top water safety tips from the American Red Cross, as an important reminder to all of us, on how to keep yourself, your family and friends safe in and around the water every day.

• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards.

• Always swim with a buddy.

• If you go boating, wear a life jacket.

• Install and use barriers around your home pool or hot tub.

• Actively supervise children whenever around the water.

• Always stay within arm’s reach of young children and avoid distractions.

• Reach or throw aid to distressed swimmers – don’t go.

• Keep toys not in use away from the pool and out of site.

For more information on water safety, please visit American Red Cross’ water safety resources here.

Duke Energy Foundation:

Duke Energy Foundation provides more than $30 million annually in philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where Duke Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by Duke Energy shareholders.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. The company’s electric utilities serve 8.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,100 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. 

About Duke Energy FloridaDuke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.  

About City of New Port Richey:

With a strong local government, an attractive historical downtown, and a unique riverfront landscape, New Port Richey is one of Florida’s best walkable, waterfront, historic hometowns. For more information, visit www.cityofnewportrichey.org.

Media contact: Laitin SterlingMedia line: 800.559.3853

Originally published May 15, 2025 via news.duke-energy.com