ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — After the fatal drowning of T.J. Mister at a St. Louis County summer camp two years ago, people gathered for a bowling fundraiser on Sunday.
T.J. drowned at the Kennedy Recreation Center pool during a county-operated summer camp program on July 20, 2022.
"Bowl for T.J.'s Birthday" at Shrewsbury Lanes, allowed fundraising for free local swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School.
"We want to make sure we give back to the community in a way, bring our family and friends together and have fun because that's what (T.J.) always loved to do," Olga Mister, T.J.'s mom, said.
Even T.J.'s former preschool teacher at Bayless Early Childhood Center and his principal came out to bowl and donate on Sunday.
Remembering the student they knew as "super sweet," Natalie Brown, his pre-school teacher, said.
"(T.J.) was always a really happy kid when he came to school," Brown added. "He was really funny."
"He never met a stranger," Christina Ly, principal with the Bayless School District, said. T.J. "was friends with everybody. Friends with everyone and always had a smile on his face."
The family also made sure that "T.J.'s Law" was presented in the Missouri House in 2023. However, it didn't make it out of committee.
"Our goal is to have the law changed to protect the kids so another family isn't going through what we're going through," T.J.'s dad, Travone Mister, said. "That's the ultimate goal."
Goldfish Swim School wanted to help prevent other children from drowning so they wanted to administer the free 6-months of swim lessons at their pool after hearing T.J.'s story.
Parents or guardians of eligible children with financial need should apply for a scholarship with this here if they are four months to 12 years old.
"We want them to get safe in the water," Shyanne Martin, General Manager of Goldfish Swim School said. "We want them to be comfortable in the water so that they're not scared when they get in the water for the first time."
Goldfish Swim School has about 1,100 students in St. Louis, with about 150 locations nationwide.
When it comes to getting children enrolled Martin said, "the earlier the better."
The funds from Sunday's bowling fundraiser, including a raffle and silent auction will go toward five scholarships in partnership with Every Child a Swimmer and T.J.'s Story Foundation.
They've surpassed their $2,500 goal after Sunday's fundraiser. They have collected more than $3,000 for the local free swimming scholarships.
If you're interested in donating to the swim lessons for children in need, you can click here.