Swim Club Splashes for United Way

About 75 kids in the Three Village Swim Club took a plunge on Wednesday for United Way of Long Island, collecting donations totaling more than $1,000 to support the organization's Project Warmth.

Project Warmth is a program that provides grants to local heating companies to provide free resources to people who can't afford to heat their homes in the winter.

"We end up with an awful lot of people who need our help," said Michael Cooney, senior vice president of resource development at United Way of Long Island. "Long Island is kind of a paradox. ... It's a critically needed program on Long Island. More people need help and there's less government support to help them."

The National Grid Foundation matched the Swim Club's donations, bringing the total raised to over $2,000. The foundation pledged $150,000 in matching challenge grants to the United Way in support of Project Warmth.

"The whole point of this is to encourage companies and other members of the public to make donations so that they match our $150,000 gift," said Bob Keller, president of the National Grid Foundation, whose organization typically donates to project. "It's particularly important this year because donations are down a little bit ... because people think, 'Oh it's not cold outside.' ... It's still so cold if you can't afford to pay your heating bill."

The kids took a symbolic splash into the pool at Ward Melville High School, where the water was about 80 degrees.

"I think it's a great cause," said Matt Pozmanter, 15, a sophomore at Ward Melville High School. "It gives me a good feeling that we're helping out over 100,000 unemployed Long Islanders. they all deserve heat, no matter what their economic status is."