Courtesy: International Water Safety Day
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – International Water Safety Day (IWSD) will be celebrated throughout the world this Tuesday, May 15, 2018. The 6th annual celebration is a day to spread awareness of the ongoing drowning pandemic and to educate youth in becoming safer in and around water. Around the globe, on this single day, in school classrooms, hospitals, fitness centers, hotels, airports, as well as aquatic facilities, youth and adults will learn water safety actions that can save their lives.
For the second year in a row, the American Red Cross, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely Campaign, and Diversity in Aquatics have combined forces to celebrate International Water Safety Day (#IWSD2018) together.
The American Red Cross has produced and distributed 1 million International Water Safety Day stickers throughout the world as part of a water safety lesson on May 15th. The free Community Lesson Plan as well as Pool Safely Pledges can be downloaded at www.internationalwatersafetyday.org.
Connie Harvey, Director of the Aquatics Centennial Campaign for the American Red Cross, is impressed with the response from so many groups in the United States and around the world. “International Water Safety Day has become water safety’s loudest sounding board. IWSD provides a platform for our collective voices to be heard to teach children and adults how to be safer in, on and around water and prevent drowning.”
A record number of groups are participating this year. A few examples of the #IWSD2018 celebrations going on…
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake and river projects nationwide will conduct water safety educational programs, post International Water Safety Day information within their recreation areas, campgrounds, and visitor centers, and on boat ramp information boards and social media platforms, and will distribute information regarding International Water Safety Day to their local media outlets, partners, and schools. They estimate they could reach 8 million people!
- Propeller Sports Academy is celebrating at the University of Botswana, Gaborone campus at the swimming pool arena. The campus has over 10,000 students and mostly dominated by youth who really need this awareness. They are going to have booths from local agencies, have fun yet informative games and engaging activities including demonstrations by lifeguards to show basic saving and first aid.
- The Glennie Aquatic Centre in Australia will be providing water safety lessons at the Glennie School and to St. Anthony’s School. They will have over 10 Swim Instructors demonstrating and explaining the importance of water safety while letting each student experience safety techniques
“It’s been amazing over the last 6 years to watch International Water Safety Day start with one lesson in one school and now be adopted in dozens of countries and reaching millions of people,” says Co-Founder Shaun Anderson. “Drowning is the most neglected public health crisis in the world today. It begins with awareness and education. We have little to no water safety education in our school systems. Our hope is that our collective voice spurs a conversation to change this.”
Detailed information about International Water Safety Day can be found at www.internationalwatersafetyday.org.
Connect with International Water Safety Day, #IWSD2018, on Facebook and Twitter.