Jacksonville, Florida, July 25, 2006 - Safe Kids Northeast Florida/Wolfson Children's Hospital has been chosen as a Jacksonville recipient of the Kohl's Department Stores Kohl's Cares For Kids $15,534 grant for 2006. The funds will be used to support a comprehensive, community-wide water safety campaign in Northeast Florida during the summer of 2006 and continuing through the summer of 2007.

"We are so excited to have the support of Kohl's in our community efforts to prevent childhood drowning," says Cynthia Dennis, RN, Safe Kids coordinator. "These funds will help us educate parents and caregivers about drowning prevention, and will put some tools in their hands to help them keep their children safe in the water.

"Because of the many pools and spas, beaches, lakes, rivers and retention ponds, drowning is the leading killer of children in Florida under the age of five, and the second-leading cause of injury death in children five to 14," she adds. "Adults must provide careful supervision of the children while they are swimming or playing in or near any body of water."

To help parents and pool owners provide this supervision, Safe Kids and Kohl's will be distributing water watcher tags and water watcher checklists, with the purchase of any of the Kohl's Cares For Kids "Animal Kingdom" plush toys and books through September 10, and upon request.

The tags are a fun tool to be worn by at least one adult when children are in the water, and are especially helpful at group gatherings, where adults can be easily distracted. The adult wearing the tag is the designated "water watcher," taking the responsibility of doing nothing but maintaining visual contact with the children and the water while wearing it. If that person must leave the area, the tag should then be given to another adult who takes over the responsibility.

In the spring of 2007, the Kohl's Cares for Kids grant will fund a series of water safety television ads directed toward parents and pool owners. Safe Kids Northeast Florida will hold its annual family water safety fair during this time, and the distribution of water watcher tags and checklists will resume at Kohl's department stores into the summer months.

"The goal of our water safety efforts is to make Jacksonville a water-safe community by raising the awareness of parents and pool owners," explains Dennis. "Safe Kids Northeast Florida and its lead agency, Wolfson Children's Hospital - with the help of Kohl's and many community partners - would like the outcome of this awareness to be that no families experience the tragic loss of a child by drowning."