About Us

GLSRP AWARDS

National Drowning Prevention Alliance “Lifesaver of the Year” Awards

• 2020 – Dave Benjamin, GLSRP Co-Founder
• 2017 – John Kocher, GLSRP Board Member and Kathy Kocher and the Matthew Kocher Foundation
• 2015 – Melissa Zirkle, GLSRP Board Member
• 2012 – Bob Pratt, GLSRP Co-Founder

National Drowning Prevention Alliance “Community Lifesaver” Awards

• 2018 – Dave Benjamin, GLSRP Co-Founder
• 2016 – The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project

Chicago’s Friends of the Parks “Very Important Volunteer (VIP)” Award

• 2021 The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, Maria Diaz, Noreen Heron, Halle Quezada, Jessica Leon, Jim Ginderske, and the Chicago Drowning Prevention Action Plan Group.

Notre Dame Hockey “Hometown Heroes” Award

• 2020 Dave Benjamin, GLSRP Co-Founder

OVERALL GLSRP ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE 2011

• Since 2011, the GLSRP has performed over 900 Great Lakes Water Safety presentations in 7 of the 8 Great Lakes states
• Since 2011, Over 1,300 Media mentions glsrp.org/newsroom

• October 16, 2021 – Friends of the Parks “Very Important Volunteer (VIP)” award – for Advocacy for Chicago lakefront safety and advocacy for life rings.
• April 6, 2020 – NDPA “Lifesaver of the Year” award – GLSRP Executive Director Dave Benjamin received the “Lifesaver of the Year” Award presented by the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA).
• January 25, 2020 – Notre Dame Hockey “Hometown Heroes” award – GLSRP Executive Director Dave Benjamin received the Notre Dame Hockey “Hometown Heroes” Award for assisting in rescuing a young boy floating offshore on an inflatable duck in Lake Michigan. The award was presented during the first intermission of the Notre Dame v. Wisconsin hockey game.
• January 24, 2020 – “Outstanding Program & Special Event” award – The GLSRP, in partnership with the city of Glencoe, IL received the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association (IPRA) “Outstanding Program & Special Event Award” for Glencoe’s “Beach S.A.F.E” Program. Children from the Waukegan Park District, Union League Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, and Marillac Social Center participated in the program. The award was presented at the IPRA Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago.
• April 15-19, 2019 – The GLSRP attended and presented at the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA 
• January 24-26, 2019, Dave Benjamin presented the “Great Lakes Water Safety” presentation at the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) “2019 Soaring to New Heights” Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago

• October 24, 2018 – Dave Benjamin of the GLSRP presented the “I didn’t know…” Public Service Announcement and the Great Lakes Drowning Documentary at the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference in Cleveland, OH

• October 24, 2018 – Bob Pratt of the GLSRP presented “Mythbusters – Water Safety Edition” at the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference in Cleveland, OH.

• October 4, 2018 – Presented Lake Michigan Water Safety at the Chicago Water Safety Task Force Meeting, Chicago City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Suite 200, Chicago, IL

• April 4, 2018 – Dave Benjamin, GLSRP Co-founder received the 2018 National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) “Community Lifesaver” Award

• April 4, 2018 – Dave Benjamin presented, “I didn’t know…” Public Service Announcement and Great Lakes Drowning Documentary at the NDPA Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL

• April 4, 2018 – Dave Benjamin and Bob Pratt presented, “The Fallacy of Swim At Your Own Risk” and “Flip, Float, and Follow” drowning strategy at the NDPA Conference’s Poster Board Hall in Fort Lauderdale, FL

• November 8, 2017 – Dave Benjamin presented “Solving the Great Lakes Drowning Epidemic” at the State of Lake Michigan Conference in Green Bay, WI

• November 8, 2017 – Dave Benjamin presented “Compassionately Addressing the Stigma of Drowning” at the State of Lake Michigan Conference in Green Bay, WI

• April 21, 2017 – Bob Pratt, presented, “Trends in Lifeguarding – Innovative Ways to Save Lives” at the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference in Sheboygan, WI

• April 20, 2017 – Dave Benjamin, presented, “Compassionately Addressing the Stigma of Drowning” at the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium’s Annual Conference in Sheboygan, WI

• April 12, 2017 – Dave Benjamin, presented, “Compassionately Addressing the Stigma of Drowning” at the National Drowning Prevention Alliance’s (NDPA) Annual Conference

• April 12, 2017 – GLSPR Board Member, John Kocher and his wife Kathy, received the National Drowning Prevention Alliance’s “Lifesaver of the Year” award for their water safety advocacy after losing their son, Matthew, 15, in a Lake Michigan rip current

• April 28, 2016 – Dave Benjamin received the “2016 Supporter of the Year” award presented by the nonprofit, ‘Because I said I would’ for his promise video “Drowning doesn’t look like drowning”, which discusses his Lake Michigan drowning accident and life dedication to Great Lakes water safety (Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeqxKGQ_BJg)

• April 28, 2016 – GLSRP Board Member, John Kocher and his wife Kathy, received the “2016 Supporter of the Year” award presented by the nonprofit, ‘Because I said I would’ for their water safety promise video, “Gentle Giant”, about the loss of their son, Matthew, in a Lake Michigan rip current (Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5SJlCK_a9g)

• April 22, 2016 – Bob Pratt performed the Keynote Speech and Dave Benjamin presented “The Vicious Cycle of the Drowning Epidemic – The Need for a Water Safety School Curriculum” at the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference in Grand Haven, MI

• April 22, 2016 – GLSRP Board Member, John Kocher, presented about the loss of his son, Matthew, during the “Story Telling” segment at the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference in Grand Haven, MI

• April 19, 2016 – Bob Pratt performed the Keynote Speech and Dave Benjamin presented “The Vicious Cycle of the Drowning Epidemic – The Need for a Water Safety School Curriculum” at the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference in Cleveland, OH

• April 19, 2016 – GLSRP Board Member, Melissa Zirkle, won the 2016 Superhero of the Year award presented by the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium

• April 19, 2016 – GLSRP Board Member, Melissa Zirkle, presented about the loss of her son, Jermaine, during the “Story Telling” segment at the Great Lakes Water Safety Conference in Cleveland, OH

• March 31, 2016 – Dave Benjamin presented “The Vicious Cycle of the Drowning Epidemic – The Need for a Water Safety School Curriculum” at the NDPA’s Annual Educational Conference in Mesa, AZ

• March 29, 2016 – The GLSRP received a 2016 NDPA “Community Lifesaver” Award

• March 29, 2016 – John Kocher, GLSRP Board Member, his wife Kathy received a 2016 NDPA “Community Lifesaver” award

• May 6, 2015 – Dave Benjamin and Bob Pratt presented at Great Lakes Beach Hazards and Water Safety Conference in Gaylord, MI

• April 21, 2015 – Co-Hosted and Presented at the Great Lakes Beach Hazards Water Safety Conference in Michigan City, IN

• March 12, 2015 – Melissa Zirkle, GLSRP Board Member, won the 2015 NDPA Lifesaver of the Year award Winner

• March 14, 2013 – Bob Pratt presented at the NDPA’s Symposium in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

• November 1, 2012 – Bob Pratt presented at the2^nd International Rip Current Symposium  in Sydney, Australia

• September 3, 2012 – Winner of the “Outstanding Service to the Great Lakes Community” award presented by the Dairyland Surf Classic

• March 9, 2012 – Dave Benjamin and Bob Pratt presentedat the NDPA’s 11^th Annual Symposium in San Diego, CA
• March 8, 2012 – GLSRP Executive Director, Bob Pratt, received the “NDPA Lifesaver of the Year” award

BIOGRAPHIES

Bob Pratt 
Executive Director of Education
Bob Pratt retired from the East Lansing, Michigan fire department January 20, 2012 and is leading the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project fulltime.  For half of his 25 year career with the fire department, he was the fire marshal and the other half of his career he was a paramedic and firefighter.  He also served as the lead trainer for the department’s water and ice rescue training.  He has also taught water safety for several police and fire agencies in Michigan including Lansing Community College’s Police Academy.  He has attended the Indiana River Rescue School and zodiac boat rescue training.  Pratt has served on the Health and Safety Committee for the mid-Michigan Red Cross for 20 years. He is currently a Lifeguard, CPR and First Aid Instructor and serves as a subject matter expert for the media regarding drowning and water safety. He has served as a lifeguard and water safety specialist for many aquatic events including several triathlons, open water swims in Lake Michigan, and the National Championship 10K swim in Harbor Springs.  In 2007, Pratt founded the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project in association with the Great Lakes Surfing Association (GLSA) and began training surfers in lifesaving techniques.  The project also researched drowning; specifically rip current drowning on the Great Lakes.  He has attended several rip current conferences including the 1^st International Rip Current Symposium in Florida (2010).  Pratt is a member of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and has presented at its national symposiums.  He is also a member of the Great Lakes Beach and Pier Safety Task Force and co-founder of the “Third Coast Ocean Force” rip current awareness campaign.  Mr. Pratt lives in East Lansing Michigan with his wife Cynthia, their two children, Jake and Corrine, and his Jack Russell Terrier “Buzzy”.

Dave Benjamin
Executive Director of Public Relations and Project Management 
Dave’s nonfatal drowning accident (media feature story) was his inspiration to get involved with the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project. He is a project manager, public relations specialist, and technical writer with degrees from Eastern Illinois University in English, Professional Writing, Creative Writing, and Business Administration.  He is also a Great Lakes surfer and a philanthropist interested in making a difference in people’s lives.  In addition to participating in the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, he created the Rich East “Multi-Class Reunion” and “Rockets Reaching Out” fundraiser.  With the mission, “Friends for LIFE!” the “Multi-Class Reunion” was created to reunite graduates and friends of ALL classes through bi-annual reunions.  The “Rockets Reaching Out” fundraiser component of the Multi-Class Reunion was added because alumni are a community that makes a difference with its classmates. The benefits of the fundraisers are awarded to a Rich East alumnus or family member of a Rich East alumnus to help offset medical costs due to illness or injury.  Recipients included a heart transplant fundraiser, esophagus cancer fundraiser, and bacterial meningitis fundraiser.