By Kaitlin Krause | Founder - Executive Director
With only six months and eight days until Memorial Day, when NYC beaches reopen, we’re on a mission to prepare New York’s underserved communities for a safer beach season. In addition to our preparing for our programs at The Rockaway Hotel, Ocean Park and NYCHA Swim Corps, we are launching an urgent initiative to address the record-tying and rising drowning crisis with our “Water Wise” Public Safety Education (PSE) campaign. This campaign will educate our most underserved and at-risk communities on the dangers of rip currents and provide life-saving water safety knowledge to prevent future tragedies.
The drowning statistics in NYC are harrowing: 90% of incidents occur when lifeguards are off-duty, and 85% are due to rip currents. Through our campaign, we aim to reach millions of New Yorkers via strategic placements on community screens, buses, subways, NYC ferries, and digital platforms within the most underserved communities of NYC.
Our goal is clear: to ensure that every New Yorker, regardless of background, has access to critical water safety knowledge that could save their life or the life of a loved one. Beginning on Memorial Day Weekend 2025, the campaign will be fully launched, bringing life-saving awareness directly into the neighborhoods that need it most.
With summer just around the corner, we are focused on finalizing our materials, securing ad placements, and amplifying the campaign through our network of partners, elected officials, and community leaders. This is more than a campaign; it’s a call to action.
Please consider making a difference by helping us reach our goal. If you have resources like ad space in visible spots within underserved or coastal neighborhoods—or other assets that could support our efforts—we would be grateful for your collaboration.
Together, we can provide essential water safety education to communities in need and prevent more families from experiencing the heartbreak of losing a loved one to a preventable drowning.
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