Water Safety.... Be SAFE this summer!!!

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#1
Just a reminder to be BE SAFE this summer.

With the pools now opened, drownings will occur again, as they always do. It's so preventable and with more awareness, and more preventative measures taken, less lives will be lost.

My little brother was not so lucky. He was 5 when he drowned at a public pool. It is now my mission to make sure this happens to NO OTHER family, as it is so preventable.

We are working hard on legislation and eventually want to bring this nationwide.

With a little click of a button, you can help us out a lot. It would mean sooo much to us, if you haven't already, to go 'Like' the Connor Cares Foundation facebook page, twitter, etc. Just simply spreading the word and getting it out there will help. Every little bit counts.

His website-
Home Page | Connor Cares

Facebook-
Connor Cares Foundation | Facebook

Twitter-
Connor Cares (@connorcares) on Twitter

If anyone has any input, or ideas, of things we can do or improve, don't be afraid to post them!!

I am currently trying to get this foundation even bigger, and working on a few events, but am kind of brain fried at the moment. We've had a few successful events in the past but to be honest, these past 2 years have been hard. My mom now owns and runs a salon, my stepdad runs his own company, and so now I have been designated as the one to run the foundation, with their help of course. But I am going to be the main one running it.

I'm tired of sitting around, and not getting things accomplished, I know this foundation can be huge and successful and we've already shown to have a nice following, and great supporters.

Today I typed up all of our professional 'thank you' letters (where I can just plug in different information for different ppl/donations), I typed up a bunch of fact and statistics sheets, what our foundation has accomplished and plans on doing, I made a letter for donation requests, and a donation form. Just stuff that NEEDED to be done more professionally. We are a 501(c)(3) foundation, so tax write-offs can be made. Any ideas on kicking up a non-profit a few notches?

Thanks for anything you can do!
 

Dizzy

Sit! Good dog.
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
17,761
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
Wales
#2
That's such a wonderful idea!

As for ideas, have you seen the courses for babies?? The floating techniques? Could be worth linking in to them??
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#4
Yup, ISR (infant swimming resource). We've actually raised over $10,000 for the cause. We were working with a local instructor two summers ago.

Thank you!
 

JessLough

Love My Mutt
Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
13,404
Likes
2
Points
38
Age
33
Location
Guelph, Ontario
#5
Bowlathon! Team up with a local bowling alley, and have a bowlathon! haha I don't know why, but for some reason people LOVE those things
 

stardogs

Behavior Nerd
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
4,925
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
NC
#6
What about a Q&A session for parents at local pools? Maybe even looking into working with a few to require a basic 1 hour course on pool safety that the foundation gives before patrons can access the pool with kids in tow?
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
3,199
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
St. Louis, MO
#7
Just want to offer (((hugs)))

I am really really terrified of the idea of drowning and my son, with his personality (no fear, quietly sneaks off, etc) :shudder:.
 

yoko

New Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2005
Messages
5,347
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
37
Location
Oklahoma
#8
I have some input. Not really fundraising or anything like that. But I think one thing that would help would be going out and and trying to get mandatory swimming lessons for elementary/middle school age kids.

I know my school did it but we were lucky with a really nice indoor pool so we could rotate classes all year to make sure everyone had swimming and I know that not everyone has the luxury.

I know a couple people who have lost children to drowning. The problem is that most of the swimming stuff I've seen is geared toward parents enrolling their kids in the programs. But every child/young person I know who has drowned didn't know how to swim or anything about water safety because of their parents attitude toward water.

I know one mom was scared of the water so she didn't teach her son anything just because they never did anything at a lake. All it took was his friends asking if he wanted to go hang out at the lake and he was there with absolutely no knowledge.

The other's had parents who weren't necessarily scared of the water but weren't fans. I think all of them could have been saved if someone just educated them on the basics. Free classes are great and help a lot of people and kids. But I think a TON of children miss out because of the parents.
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#9
What about a Q&A session for parents at local pools? Maybe even looking into working with a few to require a basic 1 hour course on pool safety that the foundation gives before patrons can access the pool with kids in tow?
That would be great!

You know, I think I am going to work on this today, maybe contacting some local pools (not managed by the company where my brother died - we won a lawsuit against them, so I am not sure how kindly they'd take to us) but, thanks!
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#10
I have some input. Not really fundraising or anything like that. But I think one thing that would help would be going out and and trying to get mandatory swimming lessons for elementary/middle school age kids.

I know my school did it but we were lucky with a really nice indoor pool so we could rotate classes all year to make sure everyone had swimming and I know that not everyone has the luxury.

I know a couple people who have lost children to drowning. The problem is that most of the swimming stuff I've seen is geared toward parents enrolling their kids in the programs. But every child/young person I know who has drowned didn't know how to swim or anything about water safety because of their parents attitude toward water.

I know one mom was scared of the water so she didn't teach her son anything just because they never did anything at a lake. All it took was his friends asking if he wanted to go hang out at the lake and he was there with absolutely no knowledge.

The other's had parents who weren't necessarily scared of the water but weren't fans. I think all of them could have been saved if someone just educated them on the basics. Free classes are great and help a lot of people and kids. But I think a TON of children miss out because of the parents.

I agree, in fact you are a lot more LESS likely to drown (I forget the exact statistic off the top of my head) if you have a pool. I remember reading that once. Because they are often taught from an early age about water, and how to swim, etc.

My mom of course is now really really scared around the water with my sister, who is now 4. But she has conquered her fears as much as possible and she's been in a few swimming lessons (including ISR as an infant) and is around water a lot more than Connor was. She also knows about her brother.
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#11
Just want to offer (((hugs)))

I am really really terrified of the idea of drowning and my son, with his personality (no fear, quietly sneaks off, etc) :shudder:.
Thank you. :(

80% of drownings are males... I guess they are more risk takers than girls.

Odd thing is though, my brother was not at ALL. He was a really quiet, shy boy who never really did much to get into trouble.

I will wonder for the rest of my life what happened that day.

My mom was in real estate, and went over to one of my step-dads "friends" (they weren't really "close") houses to draw up a contract. She brought Connor with her that day (it was June 22nd, so kids were out of school) and my step-dads friend and girlfriend were both there, and her two younger kids were. My mom was actually surprised the friend was even home, usually he worked during the days on Thursdays but was off.

So he says he is bringing her two kids to the pool, does Connor want to come? My mom wasn't comfortable with it - she wanted him to come home, as they had just rented a movie from the redbox, etc, and was just ready to go home. Well of course Connor heard and stated he wanted to go excitedly. My mom tried everything "well he doesn't have his life vest" or "he doesn't have a bathing suit" and the friend kept pushing "Oh I have all of that". Reluctantly, my mom let him go. Which is SO unlike her. She is one of those over-protective paranoid people. She will live with that guilt for the rest of her life... she now knows to follow her instinct always.

She called like five times. Finally the friend says "he's FINE... he's eating a hamburger right now,etc, etc". She decides to just drive to the pool and go pick him up early and surprise him. And that's when she sees the ambulance. Her heart just immediately sank. She knew.

To be honest, we still don't know what happened. I hold a lot of animosity towards this friend personally (but I also did not like him prior to this). He went to the bathroom, like he had done 3 other times during the trip, and took his life vest off. No one knows exactly what happened after that. But also on that day it just so happened that the ONLY lifeguard in the chair was BRAND new - on the job for all of a week. There were almost 50 kids in the pool (however they *were* following state law - 1 lifeguard per every 50 kids - that's the law, which is nonsense). And after he was discovered (according to the autopsy, he was under water for 8-10 mins) the guards did absolutely nothing. The guy who was with him that day pulled him out of the pool. Lifeguard froze, did not even attempt CPR right away. A patron did, and he threw up in her mouth. By the time the ambulance got there, it was just too late. The 911 call even indicates a lifeguard saying "we have a defibrillator - we're not allowed to use it".

Honestly so many things went wrong that day on all fronts, and it pains me to even think about it still. He'll be gone 6 years this June which is just unbelievable really.

But it helps me to know that I can make a difference. I can make a change! And we're doing little baby steps to get there... but we're getting there. And I know it's what Connor would want me to do. He and I were very close, and I'll always miss him, and the what if's. I used to imagine what we'd be like together at these ages (12 and 21) and how cool it would be, for him to have an older sister and he could come hang at my house, we could go to the movies, etc.

It's tough. I'm kind of glad I just wrote that all out. I've been thinking about him more and more with the summer coming up - June 22nd was the day he died, and July 6th would have been his 6th birthday.

Thanks for taking the time to read!
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#13
Also, does anyone know where to find companies that donate to non-profits every year?

I know there's a few businesses who pick a few charities to donate for every year, for tax write off purposes and whatnot, and am not sure how to go about finding them.


I want to get a few donation request letters sent in the mail.
 

LauraLeigh

Active Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2008
Messages
3,752
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Brighton Ontario
#14
(((((Hugs)))))))

I can't imagine anything more devastating!

I am shocked how many people here can't swim, back home we took lessons through school until grade 5, we had to be bussed to the local Y, but as a result almost everyone I knew could at least swim, and had a good grasp of water safety...

Here in Ontario, at least where I am, far fewer people can, and it's not offered at our schools or easy or cheap for parents, so I have to believe that's a huge part of it....

I never understood the fear of water, meaning don't teach your kids to swim... I would think that would make it MORE important! Like your Mom, it's hard but she understood it was important!

Down home the only drownings I know of were fisherman who died usually from hypothermia and two high school girls who were swept to sea during a hurricane when they went out on the rocks to watch the waves (That situation was a lack of respect for the power of the sea, even the strongest swimmer likely would not have made it)
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top