Making waves for healthy futures: Kane community comes together at the Kanab City Pool

More than 300 com­munity members gath­ered throughout the night at the Kanab City Pool for a night of swimming, connection and family fun during the recent “Making Waves for Healthy Futures” Family Pool Night, hosted by Kane Community Coalition (KCC), Kane Commu­nity Youth Coalition (KCYC), Kane County and Kanab City Rec­reation. The evening centered around a simple but powerful message: Connection is Prevention.

Research consistent­ly shows that strong family relationships are one of the most effective protective factors against youth substance use, depres­sion and other risky behaviors. When par­ents and caregivers regularly connect with their children, they build trust, strengthen communication and create safe spaces where young people feel comfortable dis­cussing challenges, concerns and impor­tant life decisions.

“Connection is the first step in preven­tion,” organizers shared during the event. “Strong families create strong relation­ships and strong rela­tionships help build stronger communi­ties.”

Families were in­vited to participate in a special “Connection” activity, where they wrote their favorite family connection ac­tivities on colorful strips that will be tied to a community fence in town. Responses ranged from camp­ing trips and game nights to family din­ners, movie nights, hiking adventures and simply spending qual­ity time together.

Throughout the eve­ning, families enjoyed free swimming, giant Otter Pops and prize giveaways every half hour. Prizes were gen­erously donated by Lumber Plus, whose support helped make the event even more memorable for local families.

The pool was filled with laughter, splash­ing and conversations as families spent intentional time to­gether while enjoy­ing a fun summer evening. Events like Family Pool Night demonstrate that pre­vention doesn’t always happen in a classroom or through a formal program. Sometimes it starts with something as simple as sharing a meal, playing a game or spending an evening at the pool together.

Organizers from KCC and KCYC were thrilled with the turn­out and community support and hope to continue offering fam­ily-centered events throughout the year.

“Every positive in­teraction matters,” Jenna Corry said. “When families make time to connect, they’re building relationships that help children thrive. We’re grate­ful to everyone who came out to support this event and look forward to seeing even more families at future community activities.”

For information about upcoming family events and prevention activities, follow Kane Community Coalition on social media.