The New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance is proud to announce that they have won the coveted Kelly Ogle Memorial Safety Award presented by the World Waterpark Association at its annual conference in Orlando, Florida, on October 21, 2025. Thank you to the World Waterpark Association and its members for supporting NJ in our push to develop the New Jersey Water Safety Strategy. Here is the nomination that helped the NJ Swim Safety Alliance win this award and represent New Jersey’s Water Safety Community.
The Nomination
Two years of hard work and planning resulted in the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance’s two Garden State Water Safety Summits, which assembled over two hundred water safety advocates, contributors, and collaborators. Answering the challenge from the National Water Safety Plan, New Jersey proudly became the third state in the US to have a state-specific water safety plan. This historic document is sure to make water safety and drowning prevention education essential again in New Jersey.
The Garden State Water Safety Summits 1.0 and 2.0 were exceptional examples of collaboration of water safety advocates from throughout the state. Most especially, unlike other state coalition groups, the NJ water park community, often referred to as the NJ Aqua Mob participated in each of the Garden State Water Safety Summits in fine fashion offering expertise, financial support, and vital input in all areas of water safety.
The waterpark operator’s concerns were well represented and reflected in the final water safety plan. The NJ Swim Safety Alliance was started during the COVID Pandemic to get aquatic venues back open safely. Three years later, NJSSA is THE voice of drowning prevention in New Jersey.
The NJSSA has also seen an exceptional level of participation from the NJ waterpark community in its annual Bathing Suit & Goggle Drive. Waterparks across NJ joined public pools, social service agencies, and non-profits in collecting bathing suits and goggles so kids in underserved communities could access free swimming lessons.
Started in 2018 by Christine Palma, then of Breakwater Beach Waterpark in Seaside Heights, NJ, it has grown into a statewide event, with the NJ Swim Safety Alliance and the NJ Recreation and Park Association joining forces. In 2024 alone, 3300 bathing suits and nine hundred goggles were collected, with thousands distributed statewide. In 2025, they have already surpassed that goal and look toward collecting over five thousand bathing suits. Thanks to Dolfin Swim Wear, The Original Watermen, and Water Safety Products, NJ’s campaign is one that many states hope to duplicate. Way to go NJ’s waterpark community! New Jersey will be a safer place to live, work, and play thanks to your efforts and those of the New Jersey Swim Safety Alliance. They are “Jersey Proud!”
New Jersey Accolades
New Jersey has been very successful in receiving this coveted international safety award with multiple winners in recent years, including Judith Leblein Josephs, Lou Cirigliano, Christine Palma, and John Roche. This year, Shawn Kidd of Diggerland and Water Main Waterpark, USA, from West Berlin, NJ, also accepted an award.
Thank you to the NJ Waterpark Community
The NJ Waterpark community played a big role in the two Garden State Water Safety Summits and the creation of the NJ Water Safety Strategy. Accepting the award in front of this international gathering was Cait Waxler, NJSSA Chair, Judith Leblein Josephs, Founding Board Member and Lead Author of the NJ Water Safety Strategy, with Eric Fluet, Editor of the Strategy and President of Get It Done Marketing. Joining them on stage were Lou Cirigliano of Breakwater Beach Waterpark of Seaside Heights, NJ, Christine Palma of OC Waterpark of Ocean City, NJ, and John Roche of Crystal Springs Family Waterpark in East Brunswick, NJ.
