A Hero's Legacy: Turning Worcester's Tragedy Into Community Safety

On June 4, 2021, Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel "Manny" Familia made the ultimate sacrifice when he dove into Green Hill Pond to save a drowning teenager. Despite being a trained lifeguard, both Officer Familia and 14-year-old Troy Love lost their lives that day—a tragedy that revealed a critical gap in water safety education for Worcester's youth.

The Manny 267 Foundation, named after Manny's badge number, emerged from this heartbreak with a mission to prevent similar tragedies. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in children aged 1-14, with minority youth disproportionately affected. In Worcester, with its numerous ponds, lakes, and streams, the risk is particularly significant for children who lack access to formal swimming instruction.

In 2024, the Foundation provided life-saving swimming lessons to 638 Worcester youth, equipping them with five critical competencies: swimming at least 25 yards, floating or treading water for a minute, safely exiting water, returning safely from underwater, and turning in water. The Foundation also:

• Distributed 207 Manny Tubes to 17 Massachusetts police departments
• Trained 1,800 Worcester Public School students in CPR
• Provided water safety training to police officers across the region

Our goal for 2025 is to expand this vital program to reach 1,000 Worcester youth, 62% of whom come from minority backgrounds historically underserved by swimming education.

"I like how neat it is. I try my best to be a better swimmer. I try many times, but I almost failed, but I got better," shared one young participant, capturing the persistence and growth that characterizes the experience of many children in the program.