MELISSA ZIRKLE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since the loss of her son, Jermaine Marcus Zirkle, 13
on July 12, 2013
(Updated 07/06/2017)
MELISSA ZIRKLE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since the loss of her son, Jermaine, 13
04/19/2016 – GLSRP Board Member, Melissa Zirkle, won the 2016 Super hero of the Year award presented by the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium
04/19/2016 – GLSRP Board Member, Melissa Zirkle, presented about the loss of her son, Jermaine, during the “Story Telling” segment at the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium Conference in Cleveland, OH
02/2016 – Created “I Raised an Angel”, an online support group for grieving parents with nearly 100 members. Future plans include monthly support meetings.
09/2015 – Zirkle joined the Ashtabula Conty LOSS Team, a group that reaches out to survivors of tragic accident victims
02/22/2015 – Star Beacon – Lifesaver of the Year – Zirkle will travel to Dallas to accept national award
01/19/2015 Zirkle will be hosting a blood drive in Honor of Jermaine Zirkle January 19th at Cornerstone Friends Church, 2300 Hubbard Rd, Madison, 1-7 p.m.
01/19/2015 – Star Beacon – Ultimate goal is to get water safety education in all schools
01/19/2015 – Star Beacon – Madison mother a contender for national drowning prevention award
01/15/2015 – News-Herald – Madison Township woman nominated for national Lifesaver of the Year
01/11/2015 – PR – Ohio mom nominated for National Lifesaver of the Year Award – For turning tragedy into a passion to help others
12/14/2014 Zirkle hosted a second Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting Vigil in Jermaine’s honor.
09/06/2014 Zirkle co-hosted a Great Lakes Water Safety booth with the GLSRP and family of Great Lakes drowning victims at the inaugural “Because I said I would” conference in Columbus, Sept. 6
09/04/2014 Ohio mom organizes three more water safety presentations at high school and junior high in honor of her son (Photos)
08/05/2014 Ohio Mom Adopts-a-highway in Memory of Jermaine at the interchange of Route 90 and Route 528
07/21/2014 Bereft mother to hold blood drive in son’s memory
06/30/2014 Indiana residents inspired by Ohio Mom whose son who drowned in Lake Erie – Sponsor GLSRP Great Lakes Water Safety class in Ogden Dunes, IN.
06/10/2014 Mother offers Water safety classes after losing teenage son
06/09/2014 Madison Township woman helps to organize water safety classes in memory of son who drowned
In June 2014, Melissa organized and hosted three GLSRP Great Lakes Water Safety classes in Mentor, Saybrook, and Madison, OH. The classes were funded by the ODNR (Fox 8 Coverage) (19 Action News Coverage).
05/30/2014 ODNR Announces Beach Safety Classes
05/29/2014, Melissa traveled from Ohio to Chicago to attend a Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project (GLSRP) press conference at the Shedd Aquarium. The press conference announced the launch of a Great Lakes water safety campaign in partnership with the Chicago Park District, the Ohio and Illinois DNR’s, and family and friends of Great Lakes drowning victims. The launch was also in coordination with the Great Lakes Commissions “Beach Safety Awareness Week” and the National Weather Service’s “Rip Current Awareness Week”.
December 8 2013 – Zirkle hosted her first Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting Vigil in Jermaine’s honor. The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left too soon. As candles are lit at 7:00 p.m. local times, it creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone.
WATER SAFETY PRESENTATIONS ZIRKLE ORGANIZED
2014
June 12 – 6:00 p.m., Mentor, OH; Great Lakes Water Safety Class; Facebook Event Page for June 12
June 13 – 6:00 p.m., Saybrook, OH; Great Lakes Water Safety Class; Facebook Event Page for June 13
June 14 – 9:30 a.m., Madison, OH; Great Lakes Water Safety Class; Facebook Event Page for June 14
June 30 – 9 a.m. Ogden Dunes, IN; Great Lakes Water Safety Class; Facebook Event Page for June 30
Sept 5 – Madison, OH; (3) presentations Madison High School
Sept 5 – Madison, OH; Madison Junior High School
Sept 6 – Columbus, OH; Nonprofit booth at the inaugural “Because I said I would” conference
2015
April 25 – Ashtabula, OH (x2) presentations – YMCA Healthy Kids Day Booth and 2 presentations
April 26 – YMCA West Branch, 37100 Euclid Ave., Willoughby, OH
April 26 – YMCA Central Branch, 933 Mentor Ave., Painesville, OH
April 26 – YMCA Outdoor Family Center, 4540 River Rd., Perry, OH
April 27 – Erie Intermediate 4-6th grade, 2306 Wade Avenue, Ashtabula, OH
April 27 – Ontario Primary K-3rd grade, 2302 Wade Avenue, Ashtabula, OH
April 27 – Huron Primary K-3rd grade, 2300 Wade Avenue, Ashtabula, OH
April 27 – Superior Intermediate, 4-6th grade, 2308 Wade Avenue, Ashtabula, OH
April 27 – Michigan Primary k-3rd grade, 2304 Wade Avenue, Ashtabula, OH
May 13 – Jefferson, OH – (x2) 1:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Grades K-2 and 3-6 at Jefferson Elementary
May 13 – Jefferson, OH 6:30 p.m. Ashtabula County Water Rescue Team and First Responders at the Rome Fire Department, 3162 US-6, Rome, OH, (440) 563-3990
2017
May 30 – Geneva, OH – (3) 7:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Geneva Middle School, 839 Sherman St, Geneva, OH 44041
May 30 – Ashtabula, OH – (2) 10:30 a.m. ABC Childcare and Learning Center, 2012 W 11th St, Ashtabula, OH 44004, (440) 964-8799
May 31 – Geneva, OH – (6) Geneva High School, 8:15 a.m. to 2:05 p.m., Geneva High School, 1301 South Ridge Rd E, Geneva, OH 44041, (440) 466-4831
