Drowning is the leading cause of death in the US for kids aged one to four. According to Stop Drowning Now, drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide. Every day in the United States 10 people die from drowning.
Because of these statistics, juniors Eden Chirchik and Ricky Radant decided to co-found a Stop Drowning Now chapter at Oak Park High School.
Data collected from the official Stop Drowning Now Foundation shows an 88% reduction in risk when taking part in formal swimming lessons and water safety training.
“The club’s main goal is to educate the community on how to prevent drowning,” Chirchik said.
Club meetings consist of volunteer events and education. Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of every month in room C-1.
“Club meetings benefit each of our members by educating them on water safety,” Chirchik said. “We also use our club time to schedule volunteer events where we can spread awareness and raise money to prevent drowning.”
Stop Drowning Now goes beyond conventional clubs based on interest or community. It aims to save lives.
“It is important that people understand what we are doing here,” Radant said. “We are preventing accidental death through basic education and training.”
You can contact Eden at [email protected] or Ricky at [email protected] for more information about club meetings and events.
