Float Like A Duck is celebrating two decades of sharing the importance of water safety. It was founded by Paragon Pools’ president Joseph M. Vassallo as part of the company’s philanthropic endeavors and mission of educating the public on the importance of safety while celebrating the joys of water sports.
“Water and water sports are an integral part of our lives whether it be in the bath, a pool, the lake or beach,” Vassallo says. “Our goal through the Float Like A Duck program is to prepare the entire family with water safety skills, practices and preventative measures to ensure every experience is an enjoyable one.”
Since its 2003 launch, the water safety initiative with messaging in English and Spanish has hosted in-person events, published a water safety coloring book, released numerous water safety PSA videos and introduced its cheerful water safety mascot named Duckie. In addition, Float Like A Duck has provided funding for free swimming lessons for at-risk youths and sponsors the Nevada Desert Mermaids artistic swimming team.
The 20th-anniversary campaign concentrates on enhancing the initiative’s online presence by providing a wide range of information, tips and videos for consumers, nonprofits and fellow water safety advocates. New content is continuously being added and a common theme focuses on enforcing the ABC&Ds of water safety, with an emphasis on A: adult supervision.
“Water safety encompasses all types of water-related environments, not just the pool; therefore, each year we brainstorm on how we can share the water safety message in different capacities,” Vassallo says. “Some of the videos target situations and/or elements that adults may not consider to be a vulnerable setting for their child.”
Float Like A Duck’s objective is to educate families on steps they can take to keep their loved ones safe by bringing attention to situations and providing them with proactive safety tips to ensure a safe and fun lifestyle.
