Ottumwa Rotary Club distributes “Josh the Otter” Water Safety Packets.
Ottumwa Rotary Club is pleased to announce that it has distributed 250 “Josh The Otter” packets to Ottumwa Family YMCA and The Beach Ottumwa. Committed to “Service Above Self”, the Ottumwa Rotary Club notes the community’s proximity to the Des Moines River, as well as numerous ponds and lakes, as the driving force to educate some of the area’s youngest members and families on drowning prevention.
Part of Joshua Collingsworth Foundation, started in 2008 in Lincoln, Neb., the “Josh The Otter” packets include coloring pages and stickers that convey the Foundation’s mission to educate children and adults worldwide about water safety through the utilization of drowning prevention campaigns and early childhood safety training.
Rotary clubs worldwide have a storied history of support for the Josh the Otter water safety mission to end accidental drownings. Rotary International and the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation joint goal is to educate children with a fun and simple message: stay away from water unless accompanied by an adult. Rotarians have helped spread this life-saving message by distributing and reading “Josh the Otter” in their local communities, producing events featuring the Josh mascot and distributing educational materials all over the world.