Over the next three years, Abbey’s HOPE will focus on the following initiatives designed to serve our mission to keep kids safe from preventable harm.

Awareness & Education Initiative

• Pool and Spa Safety

  Hundreds of children drown or are critically injured in pool, spa and other swimming accidents each year. Educating the general public about pool and spa safety is one of the primary goals of the Foundation’s Mission. Through education, we can help improve child safety and hopefully eliminate these unnecessary injuries and deaths.

  The Foundation intends to partner with local community officials (e.g., parks and recreation, fire and police departments) and businesses to host events and disseminate information in order to educate the public about swimming and pool and spa safety.

  The Foundation will also seek opportunities to work with individuals, organizations, trade groups and corporations within the pool and spa industry to increase awareness of and education about pool and spa safety issues; improve the design of pool and spa products, packaging and warning labels; and assist in raising awareness of the need to develop higher product safety standards related to such products. The Foundation also intends to have a presence at various industry conferences and educational seminars, such as the World Aquatic Health Conference, in the hopes that telling Abbey’s story will raise awareness to the realities of the dangerous state of our pools and spa.

• Organ and blood donation

  Organ donation is the ultimate gift, yet the number of children and adults who die each year while waiting for a transplant is tragic. According to Donate Life America, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, only 35% of licensed drivers and ID card holders have committed themselves to donation by registering to be donors through their state registry or motor vehicle department -- leaving the donor shortage a leading public health crisis. Similarly, blood banks routinely report critical shortages of blood and blood components. Only a fraction of eligible donors donate, even though it is estimated that one out of every three people will need to receive blood in their lifetime. We believe that the Foundation has an opportunity to help in the effort to increase awareness of the need for organ and blood donation and provide opportunities for people to register and, in the case of blood, donate.

  The Foundation plans to conduct various activities to fulfill its Mission to raise awareness of the critical need for organ and blood donation, including partnering with other organizations to host blood drives and similar donor registration events, inviting various donor organizations to participate in Foundation events, and incorporating donor information in Foundation materials and on our Web site.

Advocacy Initiative

• Pool and Spa Safety Legislation

  There have been countless reports in the media that highlight the serious issues surrounding the adoption and enforcement of pool and spa safety rules and regulations.

  The Foundation will work to educate the public, individuals, organizations, trade groups and businesses within the pool and spa industry, as well as local and national government officials and lawmakers about the tragic state of the country’s pool safety regulations and the consequences of failing to adopt or enforce adequate pool and spa safety rules and regulations. As a part of its activities, the Foundation will reach out to state legislators, as well as state attorneys general and departments of health (or similar officials, including the Consumer Products Safety Commission) charged with enforcement authority, throughout the country, to discuss the need for up-to-date and comprehensive pool safety legislation and regulations, and the enforcement thereof.

  The Foundation will also address the necessity of having state-sponsored legislation (such as Minnesota’s Abigail Taylor Pool Safety Act) in addition to the recently enacted federal legislation, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, in large part because of the inability of state and local officials to adequately enforce the federal legislation.

Annual Charitable Giving Initiative

• Charitable Giving

  An important part of the Foundation’s Mission is to provide funding to other 501(c)(3) charitable organizations and programs that (i) provide support, resources, opportunities and outreach programs to children and families coping with serious childhood injuries or disease, and/or (ii) focus on improving the overall health, education and well-being of children by promoting healthy lifestyles, family resiliency, the arts, education, and social and civil awareness.

  The Foundation will work to identify the organizations and programs that fall within the criteria of our Mission statement, primarily focusing on local and regional organizations and will seek to partner with those organizations to participate in and/or sponsor particular programs that accomplish their exempt purpose.