Wichita kids can swim free, get youth football scholarships. Here are the details

Kids 17 years old and younger will be able to swim free on Saturdays at McAfee Pool this summer.

Wichita City Council members approved using Hyatt funds for the program at its meeting Tuesday.

It also allocated money to provide 430 scholarships for families living in the city so their kids can participate in the city youth football league. That scholarship will cover registration and uniform costs and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“Saturdays are our busiest days at the pool, so providing a free swim day to community members to be there every Saturday this summer, every other Saturday next summer, was awesome,” District 1 council member Brandon Johnson said during the meeting.

In 2026, five alternating Saturdays at McAfee Pool, located in McAdams Park, will also be free for youth in the city.

Both of those programs will be paid for by $73,450 in Hyatt funds for District 1. The city bought the downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel in 2001 and sold it for $20 million in 2016.

The city did not yet have details on where or when families could apply for the youth football scholarships.