Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Free clinic to be held in honor of Douglas shooting victim Dworet
Known for his leadership both in and out of the swimming pool, Nicholas Dworet always tried to help his fellow Stoneman Douglas teammates before tragically losing his life in the Parkland mass shooting on Feb. 14.
While the beloved student-athlete can no longer mentor local swimmers, the community will continue carrying out his message. On Sept. 30, Coral Springs will play host to the first annual Swim4Nick Free Swim Stroke Clinic.
The event is designed to provide instruction to novice and intermediate swimmers in both middle school and high school. The clinic, led by club and college coaches, will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Coral Springs Aquatic Center.
Those wishing to participate can register at swim4nick.org.
“Nick was a very inspirational person,” said Joe Chiarella, who organized the event. “He was captain at Douglas and was always helping his teammates. He always tried to impart his knowledge on his friends and teammates. That’s where the idea [for the event] came from. We wanted to find a way to pass along that memory, but on a bigger scale.”
A standout swimmer, Dworet competed on the swimming and water polo teams at Stoneman Douglas. One week before the shooting, he signed a college scholarship to swim at the University of Indianapolis.
The clinic will also include a luncheon and giveaways. The Florida Panthers have donated a pair of lower-level tickets for an upcoming game this season.
The organizer of the event, Chiarella had a strong personal connection with Dworet. His daughter, Daria, was Nick’s girlfriend. Inspired to carry on his memory, Chiarella created the Nicholas Dworet Memoral Fund Inc. in May, along with Nick’s parents.
Chirella said they hope to hold additional swimming clinics to provide lessons for underprivileged athletes. They’ll also be handing out a pair of $1,000 college scholarships every year to Stoneman Douglas senior swimmers who best exemplify Nick’s qualities – hard work, teamwork and leadership. His club team — TS Aquatics in Tamarac — will also receive a scholarship as well.