140+ Buildings Nationwide Light Up Blue for World Drowning Prevention Day

Landmarks Go Blue for Drowning Awareness

This World Drowning Prevention Day, more than 140 buildings and landmarks across 42 states lit up blue to raise awareness around drowning as a public health crisis. Iconic sites including Niagara Falls, Citi Field, Chicago’s 875 North Michigan Avenue, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, and the Hawaii Convention Center all joined in, alongside city halls, bridges, stadiums, and skylines nationwide.

WHO’s Goal: Cut Drowning Deaths 35% by 2035

This year’s theme, “Unite to Turn the Tide,” emphasized that progress on water safety is built through collective action. The World Health Organization has set a goal of reducing the nearly 300,000 annual global drownings by 35% by 2035.

Drowning Prevention Coverage From Coast to Coast

The ZAC Foundation Co-Founder Karen Cohn joined 1010WINS in New York to talk about why the moment matters: every year more than 4,000 people drown in the U.S. alone, and prevention starts with awareness.

In Oregon, the Oregon Convention Center joined the effort, while in Ohio, Strongsville’s clock tower turned blue for the cause. News stations from Cleveland to Orlando and from Connecticut to Oregon are spreading a simple but urgent message to families everywhere: water should be fun, but it should also be safe.