Life after Death - Elizabeth Bottorf Memorial Foundation Saves Lives

PANAMA CITY - Jeff and Carolyn Bottorf suffered a tragic family accident when their 3-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, drowned in their backyard pool on May 24, 2007.

That tragedy led them to establish the Elizabeth Bottorf Memorial Foundation with one goal in mind: To promote water safety and provide swim lessons so that no one else would have to endure the anguish of losing a child to a drowning accident. That was over 10 years ago. After raising tens of thousands of dollars through the foundation and helping hundreds of kids learn to swim, Jeff and Carolyn now realize that there is still more work to be done and that is why their charity of choice is at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bay County.

"We know that when we give the club the foundation's money, they will teach the kids the importance of water safety and teach them how to swim," said Carolyn Bottorf. Last year at the Boys & Girls Club, almost 400 kids learned how to swim. The Chief Executive Officer for the Boys &Girls Club, Hank Hill, said Bay County has one of the highest drowning rates in the state of Florida, and it is about 3 times the national drowning rate.

"The Boys & Girls Club uses the funds raised through the Elizabeth Bottorf Memorial Foundation to award scholarships to kids who couldn't afford to pay full price for them," Hill said. "We ensure that no kid is turned away because of their inability to pay. We make sure that the lack of money is not a barrier to receiving life-saving swim lessons."

Every year, to raise the funds needed for these live-saving swim lessons, the foundation holds a Red Fish Tournament in November. The date for this year's event is set for Nov. 03 at the St. Andrews Pier area on Beck Avenue.

Sunjammers on Beck Avenue hosts the event where anglers from all over compete for prizes, cash, and bragging rights.

"Many of our friends and family get involved to help us raise money because they know it is an investment into our kids and our community," said Jeff Bottorf. "A couple of months heading into the event we will start selling raffle tickets for prizes. The day of the event, we will sell lunch plates and celebrate.

"Every angler that weighs in a fish, receives a prize."

To learn more about how you can get involved as sponsors, donors, or fishing tournament participants, visit ElizabethMemorialFoundation.org or find the foundation on facebook.com/The-Elizabeth-Bottorf-Memorial-Foundation. If you are interested in swim lessons, please visit bgcbayfl.org or call 850-624-9573 for more information.

With the proceeds from The 10th Annual Elizabeth Bottorf Memorial Redfish Tournament, the Bottorfs award $5,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Bay County for their swim lesson program, bringing the total amount to-date to over $35,000.00, with around 1,000 children receiving the lessons.

Pictured: front row from left: Jeff, Addison, Carolyn Bottorf, Hank Hill, Suzy Nadler, Victoria Bottorf.

Back row from left: Todd Bottorf, Bay County Commissioner Bill Dozier, PCB Councilman Paul Casto, Brad Stephens-

owner of SunJammers