Event Ideas

There are many options for your own local Water Smart® event. Consider what activities or theme would draw your target group. Be creative. Dream up your own event or use the Lifesaving Society's Event-In-A-Box.

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2003 Kincardine Treadathon

EVENT-IN-A-BOX

The Event-in-a-Box is just what it sounds like - a plastic box full of materials to make it fun and easy for a community to organize a fundraising event.

Some of the contents of the box include:

  • The "How-To" guide with step-by-step instructions
  • Banners and balloons
  • A disposable camera to capture the magic moments of the event
  • "Thank-you" goodies for participants
  • Media releases to promote the event

and lots more. Using Event-in-a-Box is a great choice for many reasons:

It does all the thinking for you and provides all of the "how-tos" of organizing an event. All of the hard work has been done. You just need to follow the step-by-step list and then you have an event.

It provides a fundraising opportunity for you to incorporate into your event. This is very important as all of the funds to finance the annual Water Smart Campaign come from donations. Many of the communities that have used the Event-in-the-Box have had phenomenal success in raising funds for Water Smart. These events are also a great way for staff and volunteers to have a great time together!

Contact

the Lifesaving Society for more information.

 

10 Easy Water Smart Ideas for Schools

  1. Take one package of 10 posters to your local school to post within the classroom.
  2. Take one package of 30 ice cards to a local school to distribute during their winter carnival days.
  3. Partner with the Board of Education/schools to host a lifejacket/PFD clinic for interested families.
  4. Host a backyard pool screening with the Board of Education/school/parent council present. Suggest that the local school library purchase a video or DVD for families to borrow.
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  6. Introduce "Buddy the Lifeguard Dog" during Safety Week.
  7. Offer to conduct a boating safety session for Safe Boating Week.
  8. Encourage the Canadian Swim-to-Survive® Standard established by the Lifesaving Society.

10 Easy Water Smart Ideas for the Community

  1. Have a contest for the Top 10 Water Smart tips for the community.
  2. Present Water Smart tips to community groups such as Brownies, Girl Guides, Cubs.
  3. Send season-specific Water Smart information to the local paper as a press release or letter to the editor.
  4. Take part in a community event hosted by other organizations/groups such as a fishing derby or child safety event.
  5. Include a Water Smart message in community newsletters.
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  7. Go to parents and toddlers groups and incorporate the Within Arms' Reach message in your presentation.
  8. Participate in local Canada Day events with a Water Smart® booth.
  9. Participate in the local Santa Claus Parade with a float.
  10. Encourage the local high school kids to become volunteers as part of their community volunteer commitment.

Top 5 Community Partnerships

  1. Schools - nursery, daycare, elementary, high school, community college, university, adult education, literacy and Boards of Education
  2. Business - Chamber of Commerce, industry, unions, safety organizations, Welcome Wagon, Cable TV Stations, Ministry of Natural Resources
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  4. Recreational groups and clubs - minor sport organizations, snowmobile associations, yacht clubs, cottage associations, conservation clubs/authorities, senior's organizations
  5. Medical - public health units, hospitals, clinics
  6. Emergency services - police, fire, paramedics

10 Easy Water Smart Ideas at the Local Pool

  1. Designate an area of the pool to post the "Water Smart Rule of the Week."
  2. Give swim lesson assignments that require kids to teach a particular rule to their parents.
  3. Have a weekly or monthly theme with an end of the month quiz. The first randomly selected quiz wins a prize.
  4. Decorate an area of the pool with pictures drawn by the kids of the weekly or monthly Water Smart topic or rule.
  5. Put different Water Smart messages on the back of registration forms.
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  7. Incorporate monthly themes into public swims. Have extra staff do things in other sections of the pool such as lifejacket testing, boating safety, etc.
  8. Have Junior Lifeguard Club members do presentations for parents in the viewing area.
  9. Have a Water Smart® Tip Day at the pool where everyone has to give a tip, and the top 10 win a free swim pass.
  10. Have Lifesaving Society instructor course participants do community presentations of Water Smart tips.
  11. Have participants on Lifesaving Society instructor courses make Water Smart tip booklets.