Behind the swarms of Stew Leonards' shoppers, animatronic characters and fresh produce is a story of loss – and hope. In the winter of 1989, Stew Leonard Jr. and his wife Kim lost their toddler in a drowning accident. Since then they've worked tirelessly to prevent needless accidental deaths, forming the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, in memory of their son.
"There is no reason this should ever happen again," says Kim. Sadly, for children, it happens too frequently. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second-leading cause of injury-related death among children under the age of 15.
To date, the Leonard's Foundation has raised more than $1 million for water safety awareness and education. It also provides swim scholarships and lifeguard training, and Kim and Stew have written and published two children's books that highlight water safety, "Stewie the Duck Learns to Swim" and "Swimming Lessons with Stewie the Duck." Both books, printed in the familiar Stew Leonard's font, contain informative pictures and memorable text -- and a simple, three-ruled message to the young reader (sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star):
" Don't jump in 'til you learn to swim.
Cover your chest with a life vest.
A grown-up must watch you in the pool..."
Now, Kim reports, their programs are poised to go national. Due to the Foundation's growing partnership with the American Red Cross, which has already sponsored summer swim classes in Connecticut, Kim is hopeful that their messages of awareness will "go viral." She adds: "Kids need to learn basic skills that can help save their lives. The more kids who learn it, the more accidents can be prevented, and more children's lives will be saved." In fact, she says, after a fire department in a small town in California promoted the Foundation's swim safety program (complete with a fire fighter wearing the "Stewie the Duck" costume), there was a precipitous drop in the drowning rate among children. "It's just so simple," says Kim. "It saves kids' lives."
Click here for more information about Stew Leonard III Children's Charities.
How have you taught your kids to be safe around water? What are some "pool rules" you have in your family? Please share them here, or email me, at .
From: Kim Leonard:
"I was driving my daughter to school ten days ago and the radio announcer came on and
spoke about a twenty one month old boy who had drown in Trumbull. I got the chills. He was the same age
as our son. My daughter and I just looked at each other…words cannot even begin to express what I feel for that family right now.
It is always heartwarming when you hear about the success stories [the fire departments in CA & CO, the Red Cross that I shared with you] and so humbling when you receive news about a precious little child [Tommy Chisholm] - whose life was lost to a drowning. I can’t help but, wonder are we doing enough to get the message out there? Can we be doing more? How can we reach those people that we are not reaching now? Could it have made a difference?
If just one person reads your article, gets the book and shares it with their child - it could make a difference – it could save a life.
Thank you for your support!"