With temperatures hitting the triple digits earlier this week, people of all ages are flocking to the Truckee River, which is exactly why teaching kids some safety lessons is so important.
With strong currents and some rocky areas, swimming in the Truckee river is challenging. It's easy to get swept away or thrown underwater.
On Saturday, kids learned how to swim and definitely had fun along the way.
"I got to swim with my BFFs and have fun with them," says nine-year-old Chris LaDay.
The Truckee River Foundation was thrilled with Saturday's turnout, with 200 kids filling up the classes.
"We have kids come back here every single year, because they love it so much," says Debbie Leonard with the Truckee River Foundation.
Organizers say it's vital to teach them safety tips early-on.
"We do try to help them get an appreciation of the river so if they want to learn how to kayak or raft, then they can do that too," explains Leonard.
The best part for the kids, they get to take home the life jacket, helmet and pair of water shoes.
"It takes about $6,000 to put this event on," says Leonard.
Parents say it's worth every penny. They tell us it's comforting to know their kids are safe.
"Floating on your back, pushing off the rocks, keeping your head above water, getting out of the eddies. It was interesting, we loved it," says William Penrose.
Some comforting news for the parents: it sounds like the kids know exactly how important it is to stay safe in the river this summer.
The Truckee River Foundation is also looking for donations to continue paying for this safety fair year after year.
Visit http://truckeeriverfoundation.org/ for more information.
Written by Adam Rasmussen
