July 23, 2010

Councilman Claude Mattox invites residents to attend two water safety events to remind parents to watch their kids around water.

The Seventh Annual Drowning Impact Awareness Month kickoff will take place at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 27, at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, 1919 E. Thomas Road. The kickoff includes the statewide purple ribbon campaign encouraging drowning awareness and action, and is coordinated by Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Also, residents can join Councilman Mattox and “dunk a politician” during the Dunk Tank and Water Safety event at 7 a.m. Wednesday, July 28, at Dunkin’ Donuts, 1931 W. Northern Ave. Firefighters, Councilman Mattox and Miss Arizona 2010 will participate in the dunk tank. Additionally, there will be free coffee coupons and travel mug giveaways.

Drowning is the second leading cause of injury or death for young children ages 1 to 4, and three children die every day in the United States as a result of drowning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the first six months of this year, the Valley had 18 deaths from drowning, including seven children. Another 48 non-fatal, near-drowning incidents have occurred during that same time period.

For more information on Drowning Impact Awareness Month, contact Tiffaney Isaacson at 602-546-1712. 

For more details about the Dunk Tank and Water Safety event, contact Phoenix Fire Captain Jay Arthur at 602-518-6008.

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