NEW PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM DROWNING

(Robbinsdale, MN – June 18, 2008) – A new program aimed at keeping kids safe while boating is now underway. Safe Kids Northwest Metro Minneapolis has launched its "Kids Don’t Float" campaign which loans out life jackets on the honor system to those who may have forgotten or misplaced their own. The life jackets are currently available at three strategically placed locations on Lake Minnetonka.

"Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death for kids ages 1 to 14," explains Alison Pence, coordinator of Safe Kids Northwest Metro Minneapolis. "It's our hope that by providing the public with these life vests, we can reduce the chance of a child drowning or getting severely injured on the lake." A study of nationwide drowning deaths in 2004 revealed 55 percent of children ages 14 and under who drowned in boating accidents were not wearing life jackets.

"As kids get older, their chance of drowning increases due to their reluctance to wear a life jacket," adds Pence. In Minnesota, children under the age of ten are required by law to wear a personal floatation device while actively boating. "Having the life jackets readily available at the boat launches will allow for no excuses by the children or their parents," says Pence whose role as injury prevention program coordinator at North Memorial also includes educating children on water safety.

The "Kids Don't Float" program was modeled after a similar effort started in Homer, Alaska in 1996. Since then, the Alaska program has expanded to more than 400 different sites around the state and reportedly saved the lives of 12 children. The life jackets, which come in multiple sizes, are available at well-marked loaner stations at three different boat launches on Lake Minnetonka:

Orono: Maxwell Bay, County Road 51/North Shore Drive

Minnetonka: Gray's Bay, Hwy 101/Gray's Bay Blvd E.

Spring Park: Spring Park Bay, County Road 15 and Sunset Drive

The life jackets can be taken for all-day use, with the understanding that they will be returned to the loaner station when the participants leave the lake.

"This program is about helping the community take an active role in preventing unnecessary harm to children on the water," says Pence. "And it's up to the community to make it successful."

Safe Kids Northwest Metro Minneapolis was able to make the "Kids Don't Float" program possible through a grant from Safe Kids USA and the U.S. Coast Guard. The program is also being launched in ten other states this summer through local Safe Kids Coalitions. Safe Kids Northwest Metro Minneapolis, whose lead sponsor is North Memorial Medical Center, was founded in 1993 and is dedicated to the prevention of accidental injury among children. Other local partners involved in this program include the City of Minnetonka, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Hennepin County Environmental Services and the Hennepin County Water Patrol.

About North Memorial

North Memorial has provided more than 50 years of service to communities in the northwest metro. North Memorial consists of North Memorial Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, and North Memorial Ambulance, which currently provides the majority of ambulance and emergency care for the northwest corridor area. In addition to emergency and trauma services, North Memorial is recognized for its outstanding cardiology, oncology, and women and children's services as well as its numerous primary care and specialty clinics located throughout the northwestern Twin Cities.