JULY 2021 Young Children Newsletter

Good morning fellow Kiwanians!

Last month I addressed the importance of swimming lessons for young children to help prevent drowning. This month I continue to promote

DROWNING PREVENTION

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death among children between 1 and 4 years of age, with almost 400 cases reported in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the US, an average of 3,500 to 4,000 people drown per year. That is an average of 10 fatal drownings per day.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children. Young children aren’t the only ones affected. Overall, it ranks fifth for unintentional injury death in the United States. More than 50 percent of drowning victims who are treated at emergency departments require extended hospitalization or long-term care.

WHAT CAN KIWANIANS DO TO HELP?

Sponsor a Life Jacket Loaner Station.

This program began in 1997 in Alaska to reduce the number of drownings on boats. It has expanded to beaches, lakes and anywhere where families and children gather near the water. Families borrow a life jacket, use it, and put it back when done. The station costs approximately $1,500 unless donations are received to reduce the cost. Many of these stations have lumber donated by Lowe’s or Home Depot with private builders donating their labor. Some of the stations have been built by the parks and recreation departments of the county. West Marine gives a deep discount on the life jackets, costing approximately $14 per jacket with 20 jackets per station. They are replaced approximately every 7 to 9 months.

The sign above the station indicates that “Kids Don’t Float, Give Them Something That Does.” An additional sign lists the donors of the station. 

Kids life jacket are available in three sizes…infant(0-30 lb.), child (30-50lb.), and youth (50-90 lb.) at $19.99 available at West Marine.

https://www.westmarine.com/stores/portland-me-84

This project is popular in Florida, especially in Collier County. To learn more about Collier County’s life jacket loaner stations, go to 

https://watersmartcollier.com/lifejacket-loaner-program

This new project provides an excellent opportunity for your

Kiwanis Club to apply for a Kiwanis Foundation of New England (KFNE) grant for up to $1000. This is a new and innovative project. You can find the application at www.kfne.org. You must complete the specific questions as indicated in the application.

I hope you agree that this is a valuable and relatively easy project to complete. For a small investment many lives may be saved.

Ava Adams, District Chair

Young Children Committee

New England and Bermuda District

Member, Kiwanis International Young Children Committee

email: faithava2008@yahoo.com