Brunswick Rotary puts on program to teach kindergartners about water safety

BRUNSWICK — A group of kindergartners at Hickory Ridge Elementary School learned the importance of being safe around bodies of water through an interactive program put on by the Brunswick Rotary Club on Wednesday. The program is based around a book titled "Josh the Baby Otter" by Blake Collingsworth. He wrote the book in memory of his 2-and-a half-year-old son Joshua, who drowned in a backyard pool. The book is intended to teach young children about water safety. "We tell our children to look both ways for cars, don't touch that stove, it's hot and hold on to the handrail," the preface of the book states. "We always think we will be with them when they are around water, but believe me, there are times when we may not be. Start early. Add it to your list of educational warnings for your children." Tiffany Safran said she initially brought "Josh the Baby Otter" to Brunswick in 2016 because she wanted to make a difference in the community. Since then, it has become an annual event where members of the Rotary visit every elementary school in the Brunswick City Schools District at the end of the school year. "When somebody drowns, it's like it doesn't make sense," she said. "It can really ruin whole communities to lose a person that young to something that should be a fun day. I'm very passionate about water safety (and) always have been." The Brunswick Rotary's program starts with the children listening to an audiobook of the story, and every child receives their own copy of the book to take home. Josh the Otter later appears in person to dance along with the kids to a song about water safety and give them all high-fives. Also, as part of Wednesday's program, Brunswick Assistant Fire Chief Russ Merhaut helped students take a pledge in which they promised to get an adult when they go near the water. Safran said the idea to have a first responder give the safety pledge came to be because her husband works for the Brunswick police. "It's become such a great situation where the schools are involved, the safety community is involved (and) the city is involved with the city manager," she said. "It's such a collaborative effort. For two days in May, we come together to try to get this message out for kids." "Josh the Baby Otter" is designed to be a fun and age-appropriate way to deliver a serious message, Safran said. She wants water safety to be seen as more of a public safety issue rather than just something children learn at swim lessons. "When I was a kid, nobody wore their seat belt in a car, and then there was a public service to 'Click It or Ticket' (and) put your seat belt on," she said. "They didn't show gruesome pictures of children that died in car accidents. It was more like how can we get kids to remember it? How can it be catchy? That's what I would like (for water safety). Who's the water watcher? I want those to be terms that kids remember and talk about." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.