Kids in Danger celebrates 21st anniversary

There are so many reasons why I love what I do; help to plan the most important day of couples’ lives and witness the beginning of an incredible journey for our brides, grooms and families. We get to celebrate all life has to offer with our clients – birthdays, showers, engagements, corporate holiday parties and anniversaries, all while working with the best partners in our industry – it’s truly a joy.

And then there are the events that change you, forever.

Last night, Kids in Danger celebrated their 21st anniversary and we had the honor of helping them plan and execute this event for the second year in a row. Last year, we honored the founders of KIDS – Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar who lost their 19 month old son in a defective portable crib 20 years prior. We listened to them re-live those horrifying moments as they stood in front of 300 guests who were there to support this incredible organization and continue to protect children by fighting for product safety.

Last night, we honored the Hughes and Miller families who both lost their toddlers in a drowning incident on June 10th, 2018. Nicole Hughes accepted the Best Friend Award for her courageous efforts to educating the public about pool safety and the dangers of water hazards by sharing life-saving resources. There are not many parents who could stand up in front of an audience and talk about the sudden death of their baby boy, just 10 months after the horrific incident occurred, but Nicole is changing the way we view water safety and is determined to raise more awareness to prevent this from happening to others.

Drowning is the #1 cause of death in children ages 1-4. Yet, it remains a silent epidemic that takes the lives of over 1000 precious babies every single year. For the past several months, Nicole Hughes and Morgan Miller have partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics on a drowning prevention campaign. We all practice water safety in our families and communities, but what we don’t realize is that it takes only a few seconds, no matter what systems you have in place, for a small child to drown.

Check out the articles released by the AAP and follow @healthychildrenaap. Enroll your toddlers in quality swim lessons that focus on survival. Help us break the barriers of stigma and assumption so we can prevent these tragedies from happening. Purchase Water Guardians at www.levislegacy.com today…you will not see me at the pool this summer without one.

Living a purposeful life despite tragedy is one of the most difficult things a mother can do; and Nicole has proven that with the power of words and spreading awareness…it is possible.