Thursday, October 1, 2026
A local teen was honored last week at Veterans Memorial Park in East Meadow for his efforts to promote water safety and expand youths’ access to affordable swimming lessons.
Jace Owens, a rising senior at Baldwin High School, is a swimmer, volunteer and lifeguard at the pool in the East Meadow park. His family traces its origins to the Caribbean, where many tragically drowned because they never learned basic water safety skills, despite being surrounded by water, he shared at a news conference on July 15.
When Owens was younger, he was determined to break that cycle and began taking swimming lessons at 8-years-old.
“Swimming not only taught me discipline and confidence, but it also gave me a sense of purpose and belonging,” he shared at a news conference on July 15.
Wanting to help others achieve the same confidence in the water, Owens recently connected with the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, created by Kim and Stew Leonard Jr., of the popular grocery chain, Stew Leonard’s. The company operates two locations on Long Island — one in East Meadow and the other in Farmingdale.
The Leonards’ son, Stew Leonard III, known affectionally as Stewie, died in a drowning accident when he was 21 months old in 1989. His parents created the foundation in his memory a year later to prevent tragedy from striking other families, because drowning is a leading cause of accidental death in children age 4 and under.
Since its inception, the foundation has raised $6 million for water safety awareness and education initiatives, including training lifeguards and offering free or low-cost swim lessons for children in need every year.
The Leonards shared that it only takes a few moments for a regular summer day to turn into a tragedy. Kim Leonard recalled that when she spoke with the Red Cross after her son died, she was told: “When everyone is watching, no one is watching.”
“July is the busiest month for local pools and beaches,” Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti said. “It serves as a reminder that as people beat the heat at backyard pools, community pools, ocean and bay beaches, and of course our lakes, the water poses serious dangers, particularly with unsupervised children or people unable to swim.”
Working with the foundation and the Town of Hempstead, Owens helped to create a scholarship program for students at Lenox Elementary School in Baldwin, which he attended, to receive free swimming lessons at Veterans Memorial Park.
Following the creation of the scholarship program, Owens collaborated with Baldwin School District officials to identify two Lenox students for the free lessons. Third graders Celine Fernandez and Maria Fernandez were chosen after participating in an essay contest hosted by the school, explaining why they wanted to learn to swim and what the opportunity would mean to them, the school district shared in a press release.
Celine and Maria have been taking lessons at Veterans Memorial Park since early July.
“One of the greatest lessons we can teach our students is that leadership is not about holding a title,” Anthony Mignella, superintendent of Baldwin schools, said. “It's about using your voice, your experiences, and your compassion to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Baldwin High School student Jace Owens has done exactly that.
“His vision extends far beyond providing access to swim lessons,” he added. “He recognized that learning to swim is a critical life-saving skill, one that builds confidence, promotes water safety, and has the potential to save lives. His initiative reflects empathy, perseverance, civic responsibility, and genuine commitment to serving others.”
Owens extended his appreciation to the Town of Hempstead, the Leonards and Baldwin schools for helping make his vision a reality.
“This project being brought to life has shown me that when a community comes together, great things can happen,” Owens said.
He added that the scholarships “represent more than just freedom.”
“My hope here is that this is only the beginning,” he said. “Every child deserves the chance to learn how to be safe around the water, and I hope today's event also encourages more families within our community to make water safe in the family.”
For his efforts, Owens was presented a citation from the Town of Hempstead and the “Lifesaver Award” from Stew Leonard Jr. on July 15.
Officials reminded residents to take basic precautions around pools, spas and hot tubs, including keeping children within sight at all times, checking the water first if a child goes missing, securing or removing ladders from above-ground pools when not in use, and keeping furniture, toys and other objects away from pool barriers.
Registration began on July 20 for the second summer session of the town’s Learn to Swim programs. Visit HemspteadNY.gov for more information on the Town of Hempstead’s parks programs.
