The ZAC Foundation Kicks Off Summer and July 4th Weekend with Free Children’s E-Book on Water Safety
The ZAC Foundation Kicks Off Summer and July 4th Weekend with Free Children’s E-Book on Water Safety
Washington, D.C. – The ZAC Foundation, a national leader in water safety education and drowning prevention, is kicking off the 2015 swim season with important lessons on how to stay water safe with the help of a young polar bear named Zeke.
The Polar Bear Who Couldn’t, Wouldn’t Swim, authored by The ZAC Foundation co-founders, follows Zeke’s water safety journey. Zeke, who is afraid of the water and refuses to swim, leaves his home in search of other animals that do not swim and ends up finding that he can enjoy the water if he follows the ABC & Ds of water safety:
A is for Adults: only be near water with adult supervision
B is for Barriers: barriers, such as a fence that goes around a pool, keep children safe
C is for Classes: take swimming classes to learn how to be safe in the water
D is for Drains: pool drains can be dangerous to swimmers, and should be avoided while swimming
To ensure that families from coast-to-coast have access to these critical lessons ahead of a busy holiday weekend, the Cohns are providing the e-edition of their book for free for the entire summer. The book is available for download on iTunes here.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause in children 5-14. On May 21, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) echoed the importance of the ABC & Ds to keep families safe, as many drowning deaths are preventable if proper safety measures are taken. The ZAC Foundation aims to reduce instances of drowning and near drowning through community engagement and education.
In addition to spreading the ABC & Ds to families nationwide, The ZAC Foundation has been providing free weeklong water safety education camps called ZAC Camps at select Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) in more than 20 cities. The partnership with BGCA provides swimming-safety instruction to more than 2,500 Club members by summer’s end. This year marks the third year of the collaboration, which will help more than 7,500 children ages 5-9 learn swimming safety.
The following are the list and dates of upcoming ZAC Camps in July and August:
| BGCA Organization | City | State | Dates |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of East Los Angeles | Los Angeles | CA | 7/6-7/9 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio | San Antonio | TX | 7/13 – 7/17 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka | Topeka | KS | 7/14 – 7/17 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities | Saint Paul | MN | 7/20 – 7/24 |
| Tinker Youth Center (AFB) | Tinker AFB | OK | 7/20 – 7/24 |
| Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens | Long Island City | NY | 7/27 – 7/30 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee | Milwaukee | WI | 8/3 – 8/6 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Camden County | Camden | NJ | 8/17 – 8/20 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Mercer County | Trenton | NJ | 8/24 – 8/27 |
About The ZAC Foundation
The ZAC Foundation was established in 2008 by Brian and Karen Cohn after the loss of their 6-year-old son Zachary Archer Cohn in a pool drain entrapment in their backyard swimming pool. Through education and advocacy, the Foundation is dedicated to preparing children and their families for a lifetime of swimming safety. To learn more about The ZAC Foundation, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and thezacfoundation.org.