– Ottumwa Rotary Club is pleased to announce that it has distributed 250 “Josh The Otter” packets to Ottumwa Family YMCA and The Beach Ottumwa.
Committed to “Service Above Self”, the Ottumwa Rotary Club notes the community’s proximity to the Des Moines River, as well as numerous ponds and lakes, as the driving force to educate some of the area’s youngest members and families on drowning prevention.
Part of Joshua Collingsworth Foundation, started in 2008 in Lincoln, Neb., the “Josh The Otter” packets include coloring pages and stickers that convey the Foundation’s mission to educate children and adults worldwide about water safety through the utilization of drowning prevention campaigns and early childhood safety training.
Rotary clubs worldwide have a storied history of support for the Josh the Otter water safety mission to end accidental drownings. Rotary International and the Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation joint goal is to educate children with a fun and simple message: stay away from water unless accompanied by an adult. Rotarians have helped spread this life-saving
message by distributing and reading “Josh the Otter” in their local communities, producing events featuring the Josh mascot and distributing educational materials all over the world.
About The Ottumwa Rotary Club
The Ottumwa Rotary Club was founded in May of 1916 and since then is responsible for helping to charter six other clubs in Southern Iowa. Although Ottumwa Rotary Club is mainly known for its Annual Chicken Barbecue (its largest fundraiser), the club prides itself on giving back to the community. This past year, Ottumwa Rotary Club invested $40,330 back into its Ottumwa community through a variety of projects, grants and scholarships. Whether that is through volunteer service activities or through grant projects that are supported financially by the club, Ottumwa Rotary Club is happy to support the “Service Above Self” motto that Rotarians around the world believe in.
Through its club dues, Ottumwa Rotary Club financially supports the Rotary International Foundation and has given time and time again to the Polio Plus Foundation to help eradicate Polio across the globe. Ottumwa Rotary Club has also supported international endeavors such as water projects, hurricane/earthquake relief, a women’s shelter, rhino conservation and more.
Ottumwa Rotary Club meets each Monday at 12 p.m. at the Bridge View Center, located at 102 Church Street, Ottumwa, Iowa.
Ottumwa Family YMCA received 150 “Josh The Otter” booklets. (Left to right): Bonnie Campbell (Ottumwa Rotary Club) Nicole Copple (Sports & Aquatics Director of Ottumwa YMCA), Garrett Ross (CEO/Executive Director of Ottumwa YMCA) and Scott Hallgren (Past-President of Ottumwa Rotary Club). Courtesy photo
The Beach Ottumwa received 100 “Josh The Otter” booklets. (Left to
right): Bonnie Campbell (Ottumwa Rotary Club), Danae Dorothy (The
Beach Ottumwa) and Scott Hallgren (Past-President of Ottumwa
Rotary Club). Courtesy photo.
