The basics:

• Created in memory of Stew Leonard III
• Will serve 2,000 children weekly with certified Red Cross instruction
• Funded in part by a $300,000 New Jersey state budget grant

Family-run grocery chain Stew Leonard’s is preparing to launch a swim school in New Jersey in memory of the founder’s grandson, who drowned as a toddler.

Scheduled to open this fall, the Stewie the Duck Swim School will be located adjacent to Stew Leonard’s store at the Styertowne Shopping Center in Clifton. The location is funded in part through a $300,000 grant from the Fiscal Year 2025 New Jersey state budget.

The 9,300-square-foot, state-of-the-art aquatic center will feature:

• A heated, 4-foot-deep pool with filtration and air systems
• An Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant chair lift
• Private changing rooms, family restrooms and on-site amenities

It will also have “a fun, farm-themed design inspired by Stew Leonard’s.” Details include a wind tunnel to dry off young swimmers as well as colorful visuals from the “Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim” book — and an animatronic Stewie the Duck.

All swim school instructors and lifeguards will be American Red Cross certified in lifeguard training and as water safety instructors. Classes range from parent & child to pre-swim team. Courses follow an American Red Cross curriculum.

The upcoming facility is part of a charitable organization launched 35 years ago by CEO Stew Leonard Jr. and his wife, Kim, after their 21-month-old son died in a 1989 drowning accident.

‘Saving lives, one lesson at a time’

The Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation is guided by a mission of “Saving lives, one lesson at a time.” The organization has spent more than three decades championing water safety. Its outreach includes education, advocacy and support for swim safety initiatives nationwide.

Over the years, the nonprofit has raised more than $6 million toward water safety awareness and education. Those efforts have included providing swim scholarships and lifeguard training. It has also published two children’s books on water safety, as well as released a free water safety app and game.

According to the foundation, the Clifton site will contribute 100% of proceeds to provide swim lessons for underserved children along with lifeguard training nationwide. That mirrors the first Stewie the Duck Swim School, which opened two years ago in Norwalk, Conn. Locally, the organization has already supported programs at numerous YMCAs, schools and community swim centers.

Ryann Leonard is executive director of the foundation and daughter of Stew Leonard’s CEO. “My family lost my brother Stewie in a drowning accident 36 years ago, and since then we have dedicated our lives to helping prevent these tragedies,” she shared. “This new swim school in Clifton will allow us to double our impact – serving up to 2,000 children each week – and we are deeply grateful to Sen. McKeon and the City of Clifton for making this possible.”

Legacy building

Clifton Mayor Raymond Grabowski praised the partnership. “We’re honored to be the home of the country’s second Stewie the Duck Swim School and stand beside a family whose compassion and commitment to water safety will provide life-saving opportunities for children and families who may not have had the opportunity otherwise,” Grabowski stated.

“The City of Clifton welcomes the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation and is deeply grateful for their decision to invest in our community. This swim school builds on Stew Leonard’s legacy of making a positive impact across the Tri-State Area, and we’re eager to support that great cause right here in Clifton,” he said.

Sen. John McKeon, D-27th District, said, “This swim school represents far more than bricks and mortar—it is about saving lives. I am proud to have secured funding for this critically important facility that will provide thousands of New Jersey children with access to professional, high-quality water safety education.”

According to NorthJersey.com, the swim school takes over space that previously housed a Lucille Roberts Health Club.

Stew Leonard Sr. founded the company 55 years ago by as a single store in Norwalk. Now, Stew Leonard’s has has eight locations across New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. After its 2019 New Jersey debut in Paramus, the grocer added a second in-state store last year in Clifton.

Known for its animatronic characters and selection of dairy, meats, seafood, produce, bakery items, cheese and prepared foods, the New York Times nicknamed the chain “the Disneyland of Dairy Stores.”