Fecal Matters: Healthy swimming could be your big break!

Whether you have a knack for filmmaking or just want to keep your friends and family healthy this summer, now is your chance to get creative.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sponsoring a healthy swimming video contest as part of Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week (May 23-27). Be creative and get the word out about ways to stay healthy when swimming this summer! The winning video will receive $1,000 and be posted on CDC’s Healthy Swimming website and CDC’s YouTube channel.

Entries must be no more than 60 seconds long and must contain specific messages about safe and healthy swimming:

• Protect yourself and other swimmers from recreational water illness (RWIs)—illnesses caused by germs that are found in places where we swim.



• Chlorine does not kill all germs instantly.



• Never swim when you have diarrhea.



• When swimming, keep water out of your mouth.



• Videos should also direct people to www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming for more information.

Learn more on CDC's Healthy Swimming Video Contest webpage. You can find contest details and submit your original video entry online at http://healthyswimming.challenge.gov/. The deadline for submissions is July 4, 2011 at 11:59 pm.

Jessica Bennett is the Acting BEACH Program Manager and can be reached at jessica.bennett@ecy.wa.gov

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