On the boardwalk of Spring Lake in New Jersey, Assemblyman Sean Kean, Rowdy Gaines (Olympic gold medalist), Joe Ohme (founding board member of New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance), and Dominick Mondi – Executive Director of Northeast Spa and Pool Association & NESPA Foundation – joined Olympic gold medalist Rowdy. They were there to promote water safety awareness during the Memorial Day weekend.
The group, which included all advocates of water safety initiatives gathered together to support Kean’s legislation (A618) that proposes K-12 school districts must provide instruction in water safety. The bill is awaiting review by the Assembly Education Committee.
The ocean and pool offer amazing opportunities for relaxation, fun and cooling down. Asm said, “We must be cautious around all water, including the ocean, lakes, rivers and pools, hot tubs, and even hot tubs.” Kean. It is essential that water safety be taught in schools, as part of physical and health education. I hope this is only the beginning and that the lessons learned in the classroom will lead to actual swimming lessons in water.
Mondi stated that the NESPA Foundation focuses on providing more opportunities for kids to learn lifesaving skills in water and introducing them to a lifetime love of aquatics. “Drowning Prevention starts with respect for the water and understanding of water conditions. This bill allows us to reach more New Jersey youth with this important information.
According to the CDC drowning is the number one cause of death in children ages 1-4. The second most common cause of death in children aged 5-14 is drowning, after motor vehicle accidents. Data from the NJ Department of Health shows that 78 people in New Jersey died due to drowning by 2020.
We believe that proper education and awareness can help prevent these tragedies. This information will be made available to all children in the state through the school system, which would otherwise not have been possible,” stated Oehme. “We support the legislation as well as similar efforts that aim to reach a wider audience with water safety awareness and education.”
The best way to ensure that our children are safe in the pool is to talk about the importance of learning how to swim and to increase the access to swim education for those children who need it. This will make water safety a real possibility for them.
As part of this pledge, the Foundation will match donations made at a href=”http://nespa.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0zOTI5NzE3JnA9MSZ1PTQyMDQ4MDEyMSZsaT00MTA0MDkwMA/index.html” rel=”noreferrer noopener” target=”_blank”>www.NESPAfoundation As part of this pledge, the Foundation will match donations made at www.NESPAfoundation.org. The Pool & Hot Tub Alliance also matches this doubled donation. Each donation will be quadrupled.
Mondi said, “Partnering Step Into Swimming aligns perfectly with our efforts in educating more children and their families about water safety.”
Learning to swim with a qualified instructor reduces drowning risk by 88 per cent for children aged 1 to 4. This is crucial to keep them safe in the water. Step Into Swim shares the NESPA Foundation’s mission of drowning prevention by providing free swimming lessons, educational resources and other tools that help our children feel confident around water.
Gaines said, “I am grateful for the NESPA Foundation’s continued generosity and support to Step Into Swim.” Our donors and sponsors are driving forces behind the success this program. Step Into Swim is a program of the NESPA Foundation that allows us to save lives, promote swimming benefits, and provide an educational resource on water safety to communities in need.
The NESPA Foundation
The NESPA Foundation, a 501(c),(3) non-profit educational organization, is dedicated to enhancing public pool and spa experiences through charitable endeavors. To learn more about The Foundation, visit www.NESPAfoundation.org.
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