Jonathan St. Clair, a lifelong baseball enthusiast, is undertaking a unique and personal journey to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums within 30 days. His mission goes beyond a fan's dream; it is a concerted effort to spread awareness about water safety and drowning prevention.
St. Clair's initiative is deeply rooted in a personal tragedy that occurred 12 years ago when his 21-month-old son, Jasper, drowned in a pool. Despite being under the care of a babysitter, Jasper was left unattended for a brief period and wandered into an ungated pool. Medical professionals attempted to save him for approximately a week, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
"He had not learned how to swim and had not been to any swim lessons yet. And so, we were very, very taken aback. How come we didn’t know how dangerous water was, or how come we couldn’t put kids in swim lessons earlier?" St. Clair told Fox News Digital.
This experience motivated St. Clair and his family to become involved with water safety advocacy. He explained that his current campaign incorporates hundreds of individuals and families who have shared similar heartbreaking experiences. He is collaborating with water safety organizations in each of the 30 cities he visits, aiming to underscore that drowning is not a distant risk but a possibility for anyone.
St. Clair wears a Wave Maker Tour life jacket to each game, a visible symbol that often sparks conversations with fellow fans. His MLB cap, adorned with logos from all 30 teams, further aids in initiating dialogue. "It’s fun to walk around town with a life vest on because everybody, they don’t know what to ask, and then somebody will ask, and it starts the conversation. Actually, it’s been fantastic," he said. "I feel very in touch with every team that I’m walking into because I’m not coming in as a certain fan. I’m coming in with a cause, and it’s been very well-received. It’s been so much fun."
The trip involves significant logistical planning, including 17 flights, six drives, four train journeys, one boat trip, and one bike ride. St. Clair acknowledged his anxiety about potential disruptions like rainouts or canceled flights that could alter his schedule, but he remains hopeful that favorable circumstances will prevail.
"I’ve always wanted to do all 30 baseball stadiums, but I had no concept of doing all of them in 30 days. And, of course, this last year we had a lot of drownings throughout the United States. One thing that I thought, I came up with this harebrained idea: Maybe if I do 30 ballparks in 30 days, we’ll get some recognition and get people talking about drowning prevention," St. Clair stated.
His ultimate goal extends beyond the 30-day tour. "I was on the phone with my wife a couple of hours ago, and she’s like, ‘How are you holding up?’ And I was like, ‘I’m pretty tired today. I’ve got three hours on two flights.’ But it’s okay. I have got so many people behind me, and this isn’t just me. I’m not doing this by myself. I have hundreds of people behind me who have helped coordinate, who are at all of the stops in each place, and they’re making my experience at each stop a real experience, not just a layover flight, so to speak."
St. Clair emphasized the ongoing need for vigilance. "I opened up my feed this morning, and five people in Ohio drowned in a river, and that is not what I want to see. I want to wake up in the morning — I know we’re never going to get it to zero — but the goal is to make people aware that if they’re in those rivers and things like that, wear a life jacket. So, we’re working on it one step at a time, and this is it. Thirty days; it’s a pretty tall feat."