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NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Huntington Beach, CA, United States, 2013/01/03 - ISLA President, Henry Reyes, was awarded the title of “Lifesaver of the Year.” Henry competed against nine other finalists; all nominated for their impact on the lives of others in a water-related capacity - ISLAsurf.org.
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The winner was chosen based off votes from the Lifesaver Facebook Application. Voting took place from December 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.
Henry will receive an all-expense paid trip to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) Symposium in Lauderdale, Florida.
The NDPA is a non-profit organization that was created to provide the public with drowning prevention and water safety education and programs. Each year the NDPA hosts a Symposium for drowning prevention.
Throughout his life, Henry was a born leader. He was an Eagle Scout, Captain of the El Rancho Water polo Team, a Huntington Beach Lifeguard, and the President of the nonprofit, the International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA). It was through his work as ISLA President that Henry was nominated for Lifesaver of the Year.
ISLA is a non-profit organization comprised of volunteer lifesavers and emergency medical personnel dedicated to preventing drowning through local and international training and education.
Henry co-founded ISLA in 2008, with the mission to change the grim realities of drowning. Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death worldwide. The founders knew that with the knowledge and the resources available to them from their experience as Huntington Beach lifeguards, they could build an organization capable of positive change.
They started with volunteer lifeguarding in Nicaragua, and in the past four years they have expanded their programs for drowning prevention to areas affected by high drowning rates: Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Macedonia, Mexico, and New Zealand.
ISLA has certified over one-hundred lifeguards, conducted ten lifeguard training courses, performed over two-hundred rescues, and over one-thousand five-hundred preventative actions and medical aids, donated over twelve-thousand dollars of rescue equipment, and awarded over one-thousand dollars to local community youths for scholarships.
Supporting ISLA
Interested in volunteering with ISLA? ISLA (islasurf.org) is always looking for lifeguards and non-lifeguards to share our mission, intern, join a voluntarism trip, and donate. Find out ways you can get involved on our website. All donations, equipment donations, and purchases from the ISLA store are tax deductible.
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raquel.lizarraga[.]islasurf.org 
