The Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation was founded in 1990 in memory of Stew Leonard III (Stewie) who tragically drowned at 21 months old while on a family vacation. This sparked his parents, Kim and Stew Leonard Jr., to pledge that they would do everything in their power to prevent this tragedy from striking other families, since drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children four and under. Each year, the foundation works to raise awareness about water safety through PSAs and its Stewie the Duck books, along with awarding grants to provide thousands of free or low cost swimming lessons for children in need as well as lifeguard trainings.