A father who lost his toddler son to drowning 12 years ago is channeling his grief into a remarkable cross-country journey, visiting all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in 30 days to promote water safety. Jonathan St. Clair, a Los Angeles Dodgers fan from Washington state, began his ambitious tour in late July, wearing a life jacket and a cap adorned with all 30 team logos to spark conversations about drowning prevention.
St. Clair's son, Jasper, was just 21 months old when he drowned while in the care of a trusted babysitter. The child was taken to a home with an ungated pool and left unattended for only a few minutes. Despite doctors' efforts to save him for about a week, Jasper died. The tragedy left St. Clair and his wife devastated and searching for answers about water safety.
«He had not learned how to swim and had not been to any swim lessons yet. And so, we were very, very taken aback. How come we didn't know how dangerous water was, or how come we couldn't put kids in swim lessons earlier?» St. Clair told Fox News Digital during a recent interview, which took place before the sixth game of his trip in Toronto.
Since Jasper's death, St. Clair has connected with hundreds of other families who have experienced similar losses. These connections, he said, have been a source of comfort and motivation. «I wouldn't have been able to put one foot forward 12 years ago if it wasn't for this group of families,» he said. The Wave Maker Tour, as he calls his campaign, aims to amplify the message that drowning can happen to anyone and that prevention measures like swim lessons and life jackets are crucial.
St. Clair's journey involves a complex itinerary of 17 flights, six drives, four trains, one boat, and one bike ride. He started in Denver, watching the Colorado Rockies, then flew to Toronto for a Blue Jays game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre. From there, he traveled to Detroit, drove to Cleveland for a Guardians game against the Minnesota Twins, and returned to Detroit to see the Tigers face the Kansas City Royals. He admits to being anxious about rainouts, canceled flights, and other disruptions, but he believes the baseball gods and his loved ones are on his side.
«I think even though this whole campaign I'm doing is only 30 days, the bigger goal is after the 30 days, right? What has transpired? What information did we get out there? How much of an actual reach did we make? I'm really hoping that reach was big,» St. Clair said.
St. Clair's life jacket, which he wears to every game, initially draws curious looks from fellow fans. But when they notice his cap with all 30 team logos, it becomes an easy conversation starter. «It's fun to walk around town with a life vest on because everybody, they don't know what to ask, and then somebody will ask, and it starts the conversation. Actually, it's been fantastic,» he said.
His cause has already inspired generosity from strangers. One father offered St. Clair his first-class seat on a flight, and another gave him an extra ticket to watch batting practice from behind home plate. St. Clair, who had already visited about 10 or 11 stadiums before this trip, said he feels the presence of his son at every ballpark he visits for the first time. «I'm a huge baseball fan. I grew up loving baseball. I played baseball. I figured one thing about this sport specifically is it starts with really young kids, as young as 3 usually even start in Little League. My son didn't get to play the game. I know that he definitely would have,» he said.
St. Clair's campaign comes amid a troubling year for drownings in the United States. He noted that five people drowned in a river in Ohio on a single morning during his trip. «That is not what I want to see. I want to wake up in the morning — I know we're never going to get it to zero — but the goal is to make people aware that if they're in those rivers and things like that, wear a life jacket. So, we're working on it one step at a time, and this is it. Thirty days; it's a pretty tall feat,» he said.
St. Clair emphasized that the journey is not a solo endeavor. He has coordinated with water safety organizations in all 30 cities, and hundreds of people are supporting him along the way. «I was on the phone with my wife a couple of hours ago, and she's like, 'How are you holding up?' And I was like, 'I'm pretty tired today. I've got three hours on two flights.' But it's OK. I have got so many people behind me, and this isn't just me. I'm not doing this by myself. I have hundreds of people behind me who have helped coordinate, who are at all of the stops in each place, and they're making my experience at each stop a real experience, not just a layover flight, so to speak,» he said.
As St. Clair continues his tour, he hopes that the conversations sparked by his life jacket and hat will lead to greater awareness and, ultimately, fewer tragedies. His message is simple: water safety is not something that can be ignored, and prevention starts with education and vigilance.
