<div>Hi, I’m Rich Specht, the co-founder of the ReesSpecht Life Foundation. In 2012, I experienced the unthinkable: I lost my son Richard Edwin-Ehmer (“Rees”) Specht to a drowning accident when he was just 22 months old. Since that day, I’ve made it my mission to ensure no parent ever has to live through the pain my family endured.

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<div>Through the ReesSpecht Life Foundation, we’ve been working to cultivate kindness and protect children with life-saving water safety education programs. Today, I need your help to take one of our most impactful initiatives, <em>ReesSpecht the Water</em>, to the next level.

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<div><strong>The Truth About Drowning: What Most Parents Don’t Realize</strong>

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<li>According to the CDC, Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14.

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<li>89% of parents believe supervision is all it takes to prevent drowning—but supervision breaks down.

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<li>88% of drownings occur with at least one adult present.

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<div>When people ask me what took my son, the easy answer to say is  “drowning,” but the truth is, it was ignorance. If I had known then what I know now, our story would be different. Education saves lives.

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<div><strong>The Solution: A Modern, Engaging Water Safety Program</strong>

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<div>Our dream is to make water safety education as common as car seats and bike helmets—and with your support, we can do it.

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<div>Through our <em>ReesSpecht the Water</em> initiative, we’ve already reached over 75,000  children with water safety education on Long Island. Imagine what an impact we could have nationwide. 

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<div> While there are other organizations distributing water safety information, our project is the only program with a unified approach to teaching water safety. With our unique approach, we combine educator-driven education with entertaining content that kids want to learn from. By using an engaging animated video, educational coloring books, and live assembly presentations, we teach kids the essential skills they need to stay safer—and they spread that knowledge to their families, friends, and communities.

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<div>But to make the biggest impact, we need to bring this program into the modern age. That’s why we’re creating a high-quality 3D animated video to captivate young learners in the type of media they’re most used to seeing, and in a way they’ll relate to and remember.

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<div>The new video will also be ready for the national stage. Through the help of our incredible partner, Stop Drowning Now, the 3D animated video and assembly program will be distributed and performed all across the country—spreading awareness and saving lives nationwide.

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<div><strong>Why We Need Your Help</strong>

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<div>To put it simply: creating a professional, 3D animation isn’t cheap, and while we are working with a lean but agile team, we still need funding help to take the project over the finish line. We’ve already completed the script, initial character models, and test footage, but we need $100,000 to finish the animation, rigging, and soundtracking. 

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<div><strong>Here’s the good news: our other amazing partner, <em>Lifesaver Pool Fence</em></strong>, will match every dollar you donate, doubling your impact.

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<div>Your support will not only help us finish this life-saving video but also give us the tools to bring this program to schools and communities across the country.

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<div><strong>The Power of Kindness</strong>

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<div>At the ReesSpecht Life Foundation, we believe in the power of small acts of kindness. That’s why we’re doing a crowdfunding campaign instead of seeking a grant or other alternative funding—it’s because our small non-profit is founded on the belief that when we come together, every tiny action we take can make an enormous change in the world.

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<div>Over the years, we’ve turned these small acts into efforts with huge impacts including:

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<li>Collecting over 55,000  toys for families in need.

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<li>Providing meals to families facing hardships through our Pay it Foodward program.

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<li>Delivering our Cultivate Kindness assemblies that have inspired 400,000+ students to embrace kindness and respect.

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<div>Every donation—big or small—has helped us build a legacy of kindness and education. Now, we’re asking you to help us expand that legacy by supporting ReesSpecht the Water.

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<div><strong>Make an Impact Today</strong>

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<div>Your donation to this campaign will help save lives by teaching children the water safety skills they need to stay safer. Every dollar makes a difference—and with Lifesaver Pool Fence matching your contribution, your impact will go twice as far.

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<div>Please consider donating today. If you’re unable to give, you can still help by sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and social networks. Together, we can prevent tragedies, protect children, and cultivate kindness nationwide.

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<div>This holiday season, we hope you'll support us in giving the gift of life-saving education to children and their families. 

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<div><br />

</div>

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