2022

MAY 15-21, 2022

Childhood drowning remains a near-epidemic health and safety issue in the United States. Preventable drowning remains the leading injury-related killer of children 1-4 and second for those 5-14.

In 2021, Meow Meow Foundation established legislation that declared every third week in May as “Roxie’s Wish: Drowning Prevention Week for Children.” Our goal with this initiative is to increase nationwide awareness about this enduring child safety epidemic through education, outreach, advocacy and resources.

We are also now beginning to help other advocates adopt this legislative initiative in other states. New Jersey has already introduced “Roxie’s Wish Week” to its legislature. That legislation should be passed by fall of 2022. We are also speaking with representatives from Texas, Washington and Florida about introducing similar legislation and hope to establish enough momentum within 18 months to introduce a federal measure.

We operate from Los Angeles County in California with an estimated 50,000 backyard swimming pools. According to Swim University, California has roughly 3,000,000 swimming pools overall. The United States has about 11,000,000 public and private swimming pools, not to mention the thousands upon thousands of miles of waterfront, including oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers, canals and more. We cannot forget bathtubs, buckets and toilets, also responsible for child drowning deaths and injuries.

Meow Meow Foundation principals Doug Forbes and Elena Matyas have been touched by drowning three times, including their 6-year-old daughter Roxie’s preventable drowning at Summerkids, an Altadena, CA recreational child care facility (otherwise called a camp). If you think it cannot happen to you, think again. So, please join us on this critical journey. We need you.