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On Wednesday, First 5 commissions from both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties held a splash day event at the Riverside City and County YMCA, offering free swim lessons and water safety resources. The event was a big success according to First 5 representatives. Here are the details from First 5's Bonnie Woodrome:

Dozens of children and their caregivers or parents attended Summer's Last Splash, a special event stressing the importance of practicing drowning prevention strategies and water safety techniques year-round.

Visit www.first5safety.org for tips and information or call 2-1-1 for swim or CPR classes.

First 5 will host the event Summer's Last Splash Wednesday, Sept. 1 from 3-5 p.m., as a farewell to summer and a reminder for those with young children to practice drowning prevention strategies and water safety techniques year-round. Water safety activities will take place at the YMCA of Riverside City and County, located at 4020 Jefferson Street in Riverside.

This event is presented by First 5 Commissions in both counties in partnership with the YMCA, 2-1-1, Riverside County Injury Prevention Services, Safe Kids Inland Empire and the San Bernardino County Drowning Prevention Network.

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death among California children under age 5. Continued deaths and injuries in Riverside and San Bernardino counties demonstrate the need for ongoing community awareness. First 5 and partners aim to increase knowledge and connect families to resources, especially before Labor Day weekend, a time of gathering around bodies of water.

Riverside County and San Bernardino parents of infants, toddlers or preschoolers, and caregivers are invited to participate. Admission is free. There will be free parent/child swim lessons at 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., kids activities, special guest-Stewie the Duck, water safety demonstrations, information about CPR and more on how to be water safe all year!

for more information call First 5 Riverside at 800-266-3880 or visit www.first5safety.com.

Teens with Juvenile Arthritis spent a week horseback riding, canoeing and working through a rope courses by day and practicing leadership skills by night at the Arthritis Foundation's Camp Esperanza, in Big Bear last week.

This year the camp dedicated to youth with arthritis celebrated its 25th anniversary. About 30 participants ages 15 to 17 were at the site - YMCA Camp Whittle - from Aug. 22 to 27.

Another week of camp for children of all ages took place at another site during the week prior.

"We accommodate every activity," said Camp Director Jennifer Ziegler. "For example, for horseback riding, they get on the horse from a platform. At high ropes, they'll keep the tension of the line tighter so they feel more secure.

"We want them to experience a normal camp. We have a pediatric rheumatologist up here that takes care of all medications, plus the regular first aid."

In addition to the specialist, about 75 percent of the staff and volunteers either have arthritis or are friends or boyfriend/girlfriend of someone who does.

In fact, Ziegler, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis when she was nine months old, was herself a camper from age 9 to 15. She returned to volunteer as a college student in 2003 and became director in the summer of 2006.

Some of the symptoms of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis are inflammation, pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints. Damage to the joints from long-lasting inflammation and altered bone growth due to joint inflammation can also take place.

Ziegler recently had bilateral hip replacement surgery. She scheduled the procedure so that she would be recovered before the 2010 camp season began.

"This is a great opportunity for teen campers," she said. "It's unique, a different experience for them."

I visited the 91.9 KVCR News studio Friday to talk back to school with News Director Gina Diamante. Listen in for school test results, health warning and back-to-school tips!

Audio: Inland students perform well in recent testing

Audio: Back to School tips

These seem like good, common-sense tips from the Emergency Nurses Association on school year safety. Here are the suggestions:

Getting to and from school. A child who lives within walking distance of school should always walk in a group, never by themselves. Children should know not to accept rides from people they don't know, even if the person says the parent asked them to pick the child up. Exchange a phone call or a text message if transportation plans change. Parents should wait with their kids for the bus in the morning, especially if the children are elementary school age. Make sure they understand the bus-riding process.

"They should know what to do when they get off the bus in the afternoons," says Deena Brecher, Emergency Department Clinical Nurse Specialist at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. "Are they expected to stay there and wait for you? Do they walk home by themselves?" Look both ways before crossing the street and be cautious when crossing in front of a school bus or other vehicle where the driver may not be able to see you.

What you can do at school. Parents should fill out a new emergency information card every year.

"Make sure there are real, working phone numbers on those cards," Brecher says, "and make sure the secondary contact you list is someone who is reliable and knows how to get ahold of you."

This statement was released from Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and 4-Kids Sake regarding car safety with kids:

It can happen in less than a minute. A person gets out of the car, rushes back
to the house to grab something -- hears the phone ring and answers it -- then returns to the
car to find the child they left in the back seat suffering, or worse.

During "Purple Ribbon Month," Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and 4 R Kids Sake are raising awareness about the dangers of leaving a child unattended in a car and the measure that was enacted to help prevent this, Kaitlyn's Law.

"Injuries and deaths resulting from children being left in cars can be prevented," said ARMC Injury Prevention Nurse Debbie Oliver. "The first step is to understand the dangers and then learn how the risks can be eliminated."

According to statistics from San Francisco State University, thus far in 2010 there have been 29 deaths of children in the United States due to hyperthermia (heat stroke) from being in hot vehicles. Last year, there were at least 33 fatalities in the United States due to hyperthermia after children were left in hot cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. Since 1998, there have been at least 475 such fatalities.

At ARMC, Trauma Coordinator Jan Serrano and Oliver are helping to raise awareness with a campaign featuring purple ribbons, fliers and signs that are posted throughout the inside and outside of the Medical Center for high visibility. Many of the ribbons and materials were provided by 4 R Kids Sake.

"We want everyone to be mindful of this very important issue," said Serrano.

Kaitlyn's Law is named for Kaitlyn Russell, a six-month old who died after being left alone in a parked car for more than two hours. The California law, enacted in 2002, makes it a citable offense to leave a child six years of age or younger unattended in a motor vehicle without the supervision of someone at least 12 years of age.

4 R Kids Sake - a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect children from preventable injuries and death in and around cars - has posted the following safety tips on its web site, www.4rkidssake.org:

Never leave a child in a car without appropriate supervision:

• The temperature inside a vehicle can become like an oven within minutes. Even on a moderately cool day, the temperature inside your car can exceed 100 degrees within minutes. When it is 88 degrees outside, lethal temperatures can be reached within 10 minutes or less.


• A child's body temperature increases three to five times faster than that of an adult and they can become dehydrated within minutes.


• Cracking the windows, having a vehicle of larger size or lighter color does little to reduce the temperature inside your vehicle. Even in a previously
  air-conditioned car, the temperature increase is rapid.

Every year dozens of children die when they are accidentally forgotten in their child restraint in the back seat of a car. Here are some simple reminders:


• Place your child's diaper bag or backpack on the front passenger seat
  next to you.


• Place your purse, briefcase, cell phone, wallet or any personal item you must take with you upon arrival at your destination in the back seat compartment with your child.


• Place a teddy bear in your child's car seat when not in use. When your child is placed in their restraint, throw the teddy bear onto the front passenger seat as a reminder.

Moline Healthcare has announced a new outreach partner, text4baby - a free mobile information service that provides timely health information to pregnant women and new moms from pregnancy through a baby's first year.

"We are encouraging our members and patients to sign up for the service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE for Spanish)," said Michael Siegel M.D., Corporate Vice President/Medical Director for Molina Healthcare, Inc. "Our members will then receive three free SMS text messages each week timed to their due date or baby's date of birth. These messages focus on a variety of topics critical to maternal and child health, including birth defects prevention, immunization, nutrition and mental health."

Text4baby is an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. Wireless carriers are distributing the text messages at no charge to recipients.

"We believe that this program can have a positive impact with patient's behaviors and help improve health outcomes for our members," said Dr. Siegel. "And because of this, text4baby is now a component of our maternity health program."

The Biggest Loser is back and searching for teams of two or individuals for Season 11 of the show. If you have 100 pounds or more to lose, you can apply to compete for a chance to win $250,000.

There's an open casting call coming up at the NTC Promenade - Command Center at 2640 Historic Decatur Rd. in San Diego. Auditions are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, August 21.

For detailed nationwide casting information and to download the application visit www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.

Sports Illustrated Kids is seeking nominations for its 2010 SportsKid of the Year, who will be featured on the December cover, honored at Sports Illustrated's annual celebration in New York City and appear on Cartoon Network's first-ever "Hall of Game" awards show in early 2011.

To nominate a young athlete (ages 7 to 15) go to www.sikids.com/skoty10 by Sept. 1 and explain why your nominee deserves to be this year's SportsKid of the Year. The top ten nominees will be selected by the Sports Illustrated staff and three finalists will be chosen by votes from visitors to www.sikids.com between Oct. 11-18. The Sports Illustrated editorial team will then select the winner.

"For the past three years we have been wowed by the excellence that young athletes across the country demonstrate in sports, in their schools and throughout their communities," said Bob Der, managing editor. "We're looking forward to hearing about more amazing kids and selecting this year's SportsKid of The Year."

Details:

• All nominations must be submitted via www.sikids.com/skoty10 by Sept. 1


• SI Kids editors will equally weigh performance on the field, in the classroom and in the community to determine Top Ten


• The top ten will be posted on www.sikids.com October 11


• Readers' votes Oct. 11-18 will determine the three finalists


• SI Kids edit team will select the 2010 SportsKid of The Year

Dairy Queen will hold its fifth annual Miracle Treat Day today, Aug. 5. $1 from every Blizzard Treat sold will go to nonprofit organization, Children's Miracle Network.

All funds collected on Miracle Treat Day will benefit the local communities in which they were raised. Visit www.miracletreatday.com for the nearest participating Dairy Queen location.

Last year, Dairy Queen raised $4.6 million on Miracle Treat Day. The Children's Miracle Network raises funds for more than 170 children's hospitals. To learn more about the organization, go to www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org.

The American Cancer Society is holding its first ever "Purses & Pearls" fundraiser Monday, Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. Funds will go to the society's nonprofit affiliate Cancer Action Network, which interacts with local, state and federal leaders to make cancer issues a top priority.

The fundraiser, which will be at the Ayres Hotel's Patio Terrace at 1015 W. Colton Ave. in Redlands, still needs more donated new, vintage and gently-used purses, jewelry, shoes and other accessories.

During the event one purse will be raffled and the rest will be bid on by participants. If you have items to donate, contact Brenda Still at 951-300-1224.

Admission to "Purses & Pearls" will cost $5. "Mocktails" (no alcohol) and hors d'oeurves will be served.

Another back-to-school party will be going on at Cucamonga Elementary School at 8677 Archibald Ave. in Rancho Cucamonga Saturday beginning at noon. There will be free backpacks filled with school supplies for students in grades k-12. A parent or guardian must be present with child.

The event is sponsored by Point of Grace Christian Fellowship. Admission is free. For more information call 909-944-9909.

Local Panera Bread restaurants - love the coffee and bagels - is giving back to the Riverside and San Bernardino communities by donating left over bread, muffins, cookies, bages, etc. to local charities and organizations through its "Day-End Dough-Nation program.

Organizations such as Second Harvest Food Bank receive the goods and distribute them to shelters, after-school programs, and other agencies feeding those in need.

No numbers for 2009, but in 2008 Panera bakery-cafes collectively donated about 50 million dollars worth of bread and baked goods to charitable organizations. Good job Panera!

The University of Redlands held the Fifth Annual Geo Kids Camp last Saturday. Here's the scoop on the day's activities from Communications Manager Katie Ismael:

Special to The Press-Enterprise

Students gather on the Administration Building steps during the Fifth Annual Geo Kids Camp at the University of Redlands.

The day brought out about 20 fifth and sixth grade students from Lugonia Elementary School and the University to explore geography, as well as a major emphasis at the University of Redlands, spatial learning.

To cap the day, students created a movie that showcased their research of an assigned foreign country.

Since we've been spending a ton of time in the sun and have had a couple sunburns despite our best efforts ... here's some info on summer skin care from dermatologist Dr. Patrick Bitter, Jr. of Los Gatos and Beverly Hills:

1. Know your sunscreens. Every parent knows that the best way to protect your child from sun exposure is to lather on the sunscreen. With hundreds of brands out there all advertising that they are the best, how can you be sure the lotion you are applying is really protecting against harmful UVA rays? According to experts, the best sunscreens should always contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These two chemicals don't irritate or get absorbed into children's sensitive skin but still act as a powerful shield. Sunscreens should also always be broad spectrum, which means that they block both UVA and UVB rays protecting not only against sunburn, but wrinkles and aging of the skin.

2. BEENS. In sun protection, BEENS is a fun acronym to help the family remember the most sensitive parts of the body, BEENS stands for Back of the knees, Ears, Eye area, Neck and Scalp. If these body parts are properly covered, sunburn is 50 percent less likely to happen.

Second Harvest Food Bank is getting a big helping hand from grocery chain Food 4 Less in the form of a $31,894 donation. The food bank agency serves Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

The donation is part of Food 4 Less' "Bringing Hope to the Table" campaign, a company-wide promotion that ran in stores June 6 to 19 and generated more than 200,000 in money and food donations.

Following a check presentation tomorrow morning at 8 a.m., Food 4 Less volunteers will work at the Riverside Second Harvest location sorting food donations and assisting in other daily actitivies at the food bank.

Written by guest author Dianne Bright:

As parents, we often feel that sigh of relief as the middle of June approaches. No more homework, no more racing to school before that "da-n" bell rings and the gate slams shut. At the same time, I remember feeling like a bag of bricks was hanging from my neck. Ten weeks at home with my three kids just sounded so long and cumbersome.

Dianne Bright

Guest Author

The dread of seventy-three long hot days ahead of us consumed me...at first. Granted that first week hardly counts; we were all a mass of zombie-vegetables lying in front of the television, decompressing from a tornado-like twist of chaos during those last few weeks of school. But then...the strangest thing happened. I blinked and it was already the end of July.

After that last minimum day of school and the week that didn't really count for much at all, we busied ourselves with eye appointments, a theater production, beach trips, a Father's Day dinner at a beach brewery, library trips, visits to our local bookstore, barbecues with friends, a trip to a local radio station and alas...SUMMER VACATION!

OK this is cool. I don't do product reviews or anything like that, but I came across the iPregnancy app for iPhone and iPod Touch users and had to mention it.

Nothing like this was around when I was pregnant with either of my kids, but I know I'd have obsessively poured over it just like I did with "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and another book that detailed what was going on pretty much daily during the pregnancy. (The name for that one escapes me right now.)

iPregnancy was designed by Dr. Gregory P. Moore, who felt existing pregnancy apps didn't focus on correct medical information and the psychology of the pregnant woman, as much as the pregnancy planning effort.

So what does it do? It can calculate the due date, conception date and ultrasound date; show 3-d ultrasound pictures and schematic images of the baby at each week; a baby information section has a summary of happenings with the baby at current gestational age; lots of the same what-to-expect info for the mom to be; a journal for keeping notes and photos; a baby name picker list; and a whole lot more. It also integrates with Facebook and Twitter.

Sounds like a great way to stay organized - there are even Weight Gain Analysis and Questions For the Doc sections - and it looks really fun. For more info visit www.ipregnancyapp.com.

When we get home after a long day of work and school (or summer day camp), we're starving. I usually have to cook something at lightening speed - with one hand. The other hand is guarding the refrigerator and pantry from foraging children. They think they'll die if they don't eat immediately.

I want to cook healthy meals, but they also have to be fast. I'm sure this problem is not uncommon among households all over.

Special to The Press-Enterprise

For Riverside families, Family Service Association has a solution. The agency launched the Health Eating Cooking classes pilot program last October and found a huge response. Thanks to funding from First 5 of Riverside and Community Action Partners of Riverside, a whole new slew of classes are beginning in August.

The first round of free 6-week cooking classes will be at Norton Younglove Community Center on Mondays, the Riverside YWCA on Tuesdays, Rubidoux Childcare Center on Wednesdays, and Mead Valley Community Center on Thursdays. Depending on the site, classes will begin between 3 and 4 p.m. and will last for two hours. They begin August 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Participants will learn to prepare easy, economical and healthy meals. Families are welcome and child care is provided. Come ready to eat because families will dine at the class that evening. Space is limited, so enroll early. There will be a Spanish translator at each class.

The classes will be taught by Executive Chef Frank Barilone of Catering for a Cause, a social enterprise branch of Family Services Association.

"We've done 30 of these so far," said Laurie Hawel, social enterprise operations manager at Family Service Association. "Usually we finish cooking in 25 minutes."

During the classes Chef Barillne will host a demonstration, while six class members cook alongside him at work stations. All class members and their families will eat the meals prepared that evening.

"Then we'll also have grocery bags with the ingredients from that meal they'll take home to prepare that week," Hawel said. "That's their homework. We'll ask how it went the next week."

Teenagers are also welcome to participate in the class.

To enroll call Laurie Hawel at Family Service Association at 951-686-1096.

Last weekend there were several reported near-drowning incidents in San Bernardino County. In response to the big spike, First 5 San Bernardino and Riverside agencies set up a website with information for both counties on swim instruction, water safety classes and CPR instruction. Visit www.first5safety.com for details.

The incidents are tough to read about, but good reminders that with little ones, you can't look away for even a second.

The victims included a 3-year-old girl found struggling in a pool in Rancho Cucamonga. Firefighters responded to a report of CPR in progress. She was airlifted to Loma Linda Medical Center.

In another case a 17-month-old boy was left in a bathtub with his 3-year-old sister. He was found floating, but by the time firefighters arrived he was conscious and breathing. He was also transported to LLUMC where he was treated and released.

In another case, San Bernardino County firefighters responded to a 6-year-old girl drowning. She was swimming in a 4-foot deep cement reservoir with her family when she swam under the surface and did not come back up. Her father pulled her out of the water and began CPR. She was conscious and breathing when firefighters arrived on scene and was transported to Barstow Community Hospital.

In another case a 1-year-old boy was found in a Twentynine Palms pool. He was also taken to LLUMC where he was treated and released.

These were all close calls, but to the best of my knowledge, all victims were OK after treatment.

Advice from the San Bernardino County Drowning Prevention Network includes:

Active Adult Supervision - Most child victims are supervised by one or both parents when pool incidents occur. Last year, 77 percent of child victims were missing for five minutes or less when they were found in the pool drowned or submerged. Active Adult Supervision is maintaining eye contact with the child at all times and staying within reach of the child.

Barriers - Use multiple barriers to keep children out of the water such as fencing, gates, latches, alarms, pool safety nets and pool safety covers. Children should not be able to get over, under or through barriers.

Classes (CPR & Swimming Lessons) - Adults should take CPR classes, learn proper rescue techniques and keep rescue equipment at poolside. Kids can develop swim or water safety skills through qualified instructors. Visit www.211sb.com for available classes in your area.