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Brandon nonprofit High 5 is pillar in community

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Posted at 5:00 AM, Oct 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-15 08:48:28-04

BRANDON, Fla. — A nonprofit in Brandon has been in the community for nearly 60 years and it's committed to helping families with everything from swimming to education.

High 5 Inc., formerly known as the Brandon Aquatic Center, operates on five pillars that "create meaningful and lasting impacts on behalf of others, contributing to the physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing of the region at large," according to the group's website.

The pillars are after-school programs, water safety, special needs education, sports and recreation programs, and community partnership.

The facility is well known for turning out Olympic swimmers. But, it goes beyond that for the group.

"A lot of our swimmers come in here whether they're on our blue wave swim program or in their lesson program or even our special needs program and they have aspirations for a much higher level," said Chuck Burgess, CEO of High 5, Inc. "So that when the Olympics happens every year you can just feel the energy and the charge all around our campus because all these little guys that are out here is two and three, four years old, even the headstart program to do lessons for they're just like oh my gosh, I can make the Olympics here and so it's really a cool environment."

You can read more about High 5 and the programs they offer by visiting their website here.