06/03/2026
Why The Josh Project Exists
Over the past month, The Josh Project has welcomed hundreds of new followers to our page. We are grateful for your support and wanted to take a moment to share the story behind our mission.
The Josh Project was founded in memory of John-Joshua “Josh” Butts.
On August 6, 2006, Josh tragically lost his life in a drowning accident at the age of 16.
Like many families, we never imagined something like this could happen to someone we loved.
In the midst of unimaginable loss, our family made a decision. We wanted to help ensure that other children and families had access to the swim instruction and water safety education that could help prevent similar tragedies.
In March 2007, The Josh Project was founded to honor his memory and help prevent other families from experiencing a similar tragedy.
What began as a mission to honor Josh’s legacy has grown into a community movement focused on drowning prevention, water safety education, swim instruction, and community outreach.
Today, The Josh Project serves children and families throughout Northwest Ohio, with a special focus on reaching underserved communities where access to swim lessons and water safety education is often limited by cost and opportunity.
Through the support of community partners such as St. Francis de Sales, SafeSplash Swim School, Greater Toledo Aquatic Club (GTAC), schools, community organizations, and local supporters, we continue working to ensure more children have access to life-saving water safety education and swim instruction.
We believe every child deserves the opportunity to learn how to swim and be safe around water, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.
That is why we work to remove financial barriers by providing affordable swim lessons, scholarship opportunities, water safety programming, and continued pathways for growth through partnerships with SafeSplash Swim School and Greater Toledo Aquatic Club (GTAC).
Through scholarships funded by grants, sponsors, donors, and community support, many of our swimmers are able to continue their aquatic journey beyond The Josh Project through opportunities with SafeSplash Swim School and Greater Toledo Aquatic Club (GTAC). These opportunities would otherwise be financially out of reach for many of the families we serve.
In addition to swim instruction, we actively engage in community outreach by bringing water safety education directly into schools, community organizations, churches, summer programs, neighborhood events, and community gatherings. Our goal is simple: to reach children and families wherever they are and equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe in and around water.
Today, some of our swimmers are continuing lessons through SafeSplash Swim School, others are advancing their skills with Greater Toledo Aquatic Club (GTAC) and competing in swim meets through scholarship-supported opportunities. Many more are participating in programs such as Water Safety Wednesday and our new partnership with Maritime Academy.
Every child we teach, every family we educate, and every opportunity we create is part of Josh’s legacy.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Together, we are saving lives, one swimmer at a time.
