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Swim for Charlie first partnered with three Orange County elementary schools and the Orange County Sportsplex in Spring 2020 and graduated 194 students.


Head shot of Charles van der Horst
Charles van der Horst, MD

The Dr. Charles van der Horst Water Safety Initiative, also known as Swim for Charlie, began teaching second-grade North Carolina students life-saving water skills in Spring 2020.

Jon Klein, MD, MHS, a physician at Orange Family Medical Group, helped create the organization to honor the memory of his close friend, Charles van der Horst, MD, a longtime UNC School of Medicine faculty member who died in 2019 while swimming in the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim in New York. Dr. Klein, who participated in competitive swimming events with Dr. van der Horst for many years, serves as chair of the nonprofit charitable organization.

Swim for Charlie first partnered with three Orange County elementary schools and the Orange County Sportsplex in Spring 2020 and graduated 194 students. The organization plans to include all seven Orange County Schools, and expand into Durham County with a new partnership with Durham Public Schools and North Carolina Central University.