YMCA emphasizing water safety
Weston center hosts kickoff for awareness programs
School is out for the summer, which means more time for fun in the sun and in the water.
It’s also a peak period for child drownings, which is why the YMCA is working to get the word out on water safety.
The Weston YMCA Family Center recently hosted a kickoff event for water safety awareness programs in Broward and MiamiDade counties. It’s a partnership with Baptist Health South Florida, the Children’s Services Council, Swim Central and other agencies.
The cause is a personal one for Cassie McGovern, the Florida Department of Health’s senior drowning prevention coordinator. Her daughter drowned in a backyard pool in 2009.
“Florida ranks number one in the nation for children 1 to 4 dying from drowning,” she said. “My 19-month-old daughter was a victim of those horrific statistics. Our family will never be the same.”
The same is true for Dr. Zulma Berrios, of Baptist Health, whose niece drowned shortly before her second birthday.
“I’m committed to raising awareness to be safe around the water, to be vigilant, to use barriers and alarms,” she said. “Kids are going to be kids. They are curious. They are going to be exploring. They are going to find ways to the water.”
Weston declared a recent fourday period as Water Safety Aware- ness Days. This period was when the Y hosted its annual Safety Around Water drowning prevention campaign, offering free swim lessons and educating parents about the importance of water safety skills.
“We are encouraging parents to be ‘Water Watchers,’” said Jackie Morgan, the YMCA’s director of aquatics innovation. “… There are 10,000 of these tags we are hand-
ing out. We hope people pass it on and spread it through social media.”
Sheryl Woods, the YMCA’s president and CEO, recited the “Water Watcher” pledge to those in attendance. By taking the oath, residents agree to actively watch their children, keep their eyes on the water, avoid distractions and pull all children out of the water and call 911 in an emergency.
For more information, visit Ymcabroward.org.