On Friday, July 7th, Mariah's Water Safety Day took place at the Luetta Moore Park pool, located at 585 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Statesboro from 10:00am-5:30pm.
The event was free to children aged 3-12, and the first 50 children signed-up were eligible to receive sponsored swimming lessons through Splash in the Boro.
On April 23, 2023, the Statesboro community was shaken by the loss of little Mariah Jackson in a tragic swimming pool accident.
In honor of Mariah's memory and in an effort to prevent similar tragedies from happening again, the Statesboro Police Department and Splash in the Boro partnered together for Mariah's Water Safety Day.
Food and refreshments were provided to all attendees by Feed the Boro. Feed the Boro prepared and supplied 400 hotdogs, chips, and drinks to the families participating.
SPD Advanced Patrol Officer Arion Waters, who spearheaded the event, said, "I was the initial first responder to the scene of the Mariah incident. Moreover, it was my first child-related incident for me on the job. Mariah's incident left a huge impact on me, and in many ways, reshaped my outlook on life, especially given that I have a daughter similar in size to Mariah. I became inspired to create this Water Safety Day for our community's children. And it is my hope that this event increases water safety practices, and helps prevent future water-related accidents."
Alex Estrada, Aquatics Division Manager for Bulloch County Recreation and Parks, shared similar sentiments to Waters.
"This event is truly about helping to save a child's life in the future," he said. "Our Splash in the Boro team was happy to partner with Officer Waters and the Statesboro Police Department to help promote child water safety locally."