Dad visits 30 ballparks in 30 days for childhood drowning awareness, makes stop at Chase Field
Father raises water safety awareness across MLB stadiums after son's drowning
A California father is embarking on the Wave Maker Tour to honor his late son and raise awareness about childhood drowning risks. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi learns more, as the dad makes his stop at Chase Field.
PHOENIX - Fourteen years after losing his 21-month-old son to an accidental drowning, California father Jonathan St. Clair is traveling to all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks in 30 days to raise money and awareness for water safety.
Local perspective:
His latest stop was Chase Field in Phoenix on July 19, as part of what he calls the "Wave Maker Tour." St. Clair said the tour's name comes from his goal of starting the wave at every MLB stadium while encouraging conversations about childhood drowning prevention.
The backstory:
"Jasper never got the chance to play baseball," St. Clair said. "He was 21 months old."
St. Clair and his wife, Julie, lost their son, Jasper, 14 years ago in an accidental drowning.
"He was in the care of his 19-year-old babysitter, who decided that she would take him to her house," St. Clair said. "She went to the restroom [and] left him unattended. He walked out an open door, into the pool. They weren't able to resuscitate him."
Why you should care:
Since Jasper's death, the couple has dedicated their efforts to preventing childhood drownings by founding the Jasper Ray Foundation and advocating for early swim lessons, pool fences and life jackets.
Now, St. Clair is taking that message across the country.
"What I'm hoping I get through this whole campaign is for people to ask, ‘Why are you wearing a life jacket?’ and be able to tell them why," St. Clair said. "And the reason is I'm here to advocate for water safety and transformation."
The Statistics:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4.
Dig deeper:
Phoenix marked the third stop on St. Clair's tour, and he said people have already stopped to encourage him and express their support. He said he hopes the journey keeps Jasper's memory alive while helping more families understand the risks of childhood drowning.
"We get a lot of press for the negative reasons of drowning," St. Clair said. "And we're really hoping to try to change that and bring those numbers down."
What's next:
After the Arizona Diamondbacks game, St. Clair planned to fly to Denver for the Colorado Rockies game on July 20, continuing his month-long MLB journey across all 30 stadiums.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Jonathan St. Clair, the Jasper Ray Foundation, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.