Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jeremy Zoss, 612-543-0443
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and Abbey's Hope Partner for Lifejacket Giveaway at Lake Nokomis
June 24, 2021 (Minneapolis) - To promote the usage of U.S. Coast Guard-approved flotation devices while swimming, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation to giveaway free lifejackets to children and adults. On Saturday June 26th at 1 pm, the two organizations will hand out 50 brand-new Coast Guard-approved lifejackets to swimmers at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis.
Lifejackets will be available in a variety of sizes, from preschooler to adult.
What: Lifejacket giveaway with Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and Abbey’s Hope.
When: Saturday, June 26th at 1:00 pm
Where: Lake Nokomis Beach, 4955 W Lake Nokomis Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Why: To promote the usage of U.S. Coast Guard-approved floatation devices while swimming.
Sheriff Hutchinson and Alison Petri will be available during the event for media interviews.
“This year, unfortunately, continues to be a deadly year on the water,” said Sheriff David P. Hutchinson. “That’s why we’re excited to partner with Abbey’s Hope, a wonderful organization dedicated to drowning prevention. While Minnesotans are usually good about bringing lifejackets on boats, we really want to encourage swimmers – especially young swimmers – to wear them in while in the water at the beach or in the pool. Floaties or water wings are not good enough. U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejackets should be part of everyone’s beachgoing gear.”
“Losing a child is tragic. Losing a child to something preventable is downright devastating,” said Katey Taylor, Founder & President of Abbey's Hope Charitable Foundation. “We are honored to work with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office to educate today’s parents and caregivers on ways to be safe in natural water settings. Our goal is to prevent tragedies from happening in the first place and we can think of no better way than to wear a properly fitted, Coast Guard approved life jacket every time you are near, on, or in the water.”
The lifejacket giveaway event is the latest event in Sheriff Hutchinson’s summer Play It Safe initiative. The Play It Safe Initiative is a simple public awareness campaign utilizing traditional and social media aimed at educating the public about tips for a fun and safe summer for people of all ages on the water. Play it Safe is part of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office’s Water and Ice Safety Education (WISE) program, which educates the public on how to be safe during all types of water recreation. Sheriff Hutchinson says it’s imperative that everyone has fun on the water the rest of the summer but also plays it safe to prevent a repeat of the disturbing and deadly year last year. According to DNR statistics, there were 49 drownings in Minnesota in 2020, the most drownings in the state in a decade. The number of fatal boating accidents last year also reached a five-year high. Sixteen people were killed in boating related crashes in 2020.
About Abbey’s Hope: Abbey’s Hope Charitable Foundation is a Minnesota nonprofit organization named after Abbey Taylor, the 6-year-old from Edina, Minnesota who died in 2008 because of injuries sustained by an improperly maintained pool drain cover. The Foundation’s goals are to promote awareness and education of child safety issues, including the dangers of pool entrapment, evisceration and drowning and the need for physical inspections of pool equipment. Abbey’s Hope works with the pool and spa industry to improve the design of its products, packaging and warning labels, and development of product safety standards related to such products. Abbey’s Hope partners with other organizations and programs that educate about the prevention of entrapment and traditional forms of drowning. Learn more at abbeyshope.org/.
– HCSO–
Look for more news on
the Hennepin County Sheriff's website at http://www.hennepinsheriff.org.
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