ReesSpecht Life

On July 8th, I lost my cousin, Tim Scott, to Colon Cancer - a cancer he most likely developed in his military service through his exposure at ground zero and the burn pits in the Middle East.

Tim was the big brother I never had... Much of who I am today was shaped by the time I spent with him throughout my life. If I ever needed anything, Timmy was always there for me.

When we lost my son, Rees, Timmy was a pillar of strength and support that I continued to lean on all these years later. When he was diagnosed with colon cancer in February 2022, I knew I had to be there for him and went with him to nearly every doctor's appointment, chemo infusion, and procedure.

Even through his battles, Tim never stopped being there for me, and it's now time for me to be there for him one last time...

Tim loved all sports, but Baseball had a special place for him, whether he was playing, umpiring, or simply watching. My own love of baseball is deeply rooted in the lessons he shared with me when we were younger.

I think nothing would make Timmy happier than to know that his legacy will impact the lives of others who share that same love.

It is, therefore, my hope to set up a yearly scholarship in his name at Miller Place, his hometown school. All the funds we raise here will be matched by the ReesSpecht Life Foundation and go to the Timothy Scott Memorial Scholarship for a senior who shares Tim's love of Athletics (and particularly Baseball).

Any donation you make is appreciated - and it is 100% tax deductible.

Hi, I’m Rich Specht, the co-founder of the ReesSpecht Life Foundation. In 2012, I experienced the unthinkable: I lost my son Richard Edwin-Ehmer (“Rees”) Specht to a drowning accident when he was just 22 months old. Since that day, I’ve made it my mission to ensure no parent ever has to live through the pain my family endured.

Through the ReesSpecht Life Foundation, we’ve been working to cultivate kindness and protect children with life-saving water safety education programs. Today, I need your help to take one of our most impactful initiatives, ReesSpecht the Water, to the next level.

The Truth About Drowning: What Most Parents Don’t Realize

When people ask me what took my son, the easy answer to say is “drowning,” but the truth is, it was ignorance. If I had known then what I know now, our story would be different. Education saves lives.

The Solution: A Modern, Engaging Water Safety Program

Our dream is to make water safety education as common as car seats and bike helmets—and with your support, we can do it.

Through our ReesSpecht the Water initiative, we’ve already reached over 75,000 children with water safety education on Long Island. Imagine what an impact we could have nationwide.

While there are other organizations distributing water safety information, our project is the only program with a unified approach to teaching water safety. With our unique approach, we combine educator-driven education with entertaining content that kids want to learn from. By using an engaging animated video, educational coloring books, and live assembly presentations, we teach kids the essential skills they need to stay safer—and they spread that knowledge to their families, friends, and communities.

But to make the biggest impact, we need to bring this program into the modern age. That’s why we’re creating a high-quality 3D animated video to captivate young learners in the type of media they’re most used to seeing, and in a way they’ll relate to and remember.

The new video will also be ready for the national stage. Through the help of our incredible partner, Stop Drowning Now, the 3D animated video and assembly program will be distributed and performed all across the country—spreading awareness and saving lives nationwide.

Why We Need Your Help

To put it simply: creating a professional, 3D animation isn’t cheap, and while we are working with a lean but agile team, we still need funding help to take the project over the finish line. We’ve already completed the script, initial character models, and test footage, but we need $100,000 to finish the animation, rigging, and soundtracking.

Here’s the good news: our other amazing partner, Lifesaver Pool Fence, will match every dollar you donate, doubling your impact.

Your support will not only help us finish this life-saving video but also give us the tools to bring this program to schools and communities across the country.

The Power of Kindness

At the ReesSpecht Life Foundation, we believe in the power of small acts of kindness. That’s why we’re doing a crowdfunding campaign instead of seeking a grant or other alternative funding—it’s because our small non-profit is founded on the belief that when we come together, every tiny action we take can make an enormous change in the world.

Over the years, we’ve turned these small acts into efforts with huge impacts including:

Every donation—big or small—has helped us build a legacy of kindness and education. Now, we’re asking you to help us expand that legacy by supporting ReesSpecht the Water.

Make an Impact Today

Your donation to this campaign will help save lives by teaching children the water safety skills they need to stay safer. Every dollar makes a difference—and with Lifesaver Pool Fence matching your contribution, your impact will go twice as far.

Please consider donating today. If you’re unable to give, you can still help by sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and social networks. Together, we can prevent tragedies, protect children, and cultivate kindness nationwide.

This holiday season, we hope you'll support us in giving the gift of life-saving education to children and their families.

"Restoring Hope for ReesSpecht Life Foundation: Rebuilding after a Heartbreaking Scam!

This has been a devastating month for us at the ReesSpecht Life Foundation...

I share this with a heavy heart and a sense of vulnerability we never thought we'd experience. The ReesSpecht Life Foundation has been dedicated to positively impacting countless lives, spreading kindness, preaching water safety, and inspiring compassion in the world. However, we find ourselves facing a difficult setback that threatens to hinder our mission.

Recently, we entrusted a freelance grant writer to help us secure funding for our much-needed programs. Little did we know, this person was an unscrupulous scammer, meticulously building our trust over time until they gained access to sensitive financial and personal information from our co-founder, Rich Specht.

Before we realized what had happened, they disappeared, leaving us devastated and out of over $2000—funds we had earmarked for crucial initiatives that could have made a significant difference in the lives of those we aim to help. We feel betrayed, hurt, and disheartened by the breach of trust, and the realization that there are those who would take advantage of our genuine desire to do good in the world.

We are currently working with a bank to try and get back some of the funds, but there is no guarantee we will get anything back, and the process can take months. As a small non-profit we operate on razor-thin margins. A setback like this is truly devastating.

Despite this setback, we refuse to be defeated. We believe in the power of community, the strength of those who share our vision, and the collective capacity to overcome adversity. That's why we turn to you, our cherished friends and supporters, to stand beside us again in this time of need.

With your generosity and compassion, we can recover from this unfortunate incident and continue our work to touch lives positively. Your donations will help us recuperate the stolen funds and reignite our spirit and determination to make a lasting impact on the world.

Every dollar counts and will be used responsibly to rebuild our foundation, ensuring that our programs continue to flourish and bring hope to those who need it most. We are committed to transparency and accountability, and we pledge to keep you informed every step of the way.

The money we raise here will go right back to hiring a grant writer we can trust who will help us get the funding to expand our much-needed school kindness and water safety programs.

Together, we can turn this setback into a stepping stone towards a brighter future for ReesSpecht Life Foundation and the communities we serve. We ask for your support, not just in financial contributions, but also in spreading the word about our campaign. Share our story, let others know what we've been through, and rally support so that we may emerge stronger and more resilient.

Thank you from the depths of our hearts for being part of our journey so far. With your love, encouragement, and support, we believe we can overcome this challenge and continue making a difference. Let's rise above this together, embracing the true spirit of ReesSpecht, and showing the world that kindness and compassion will always triumph over deceit and betrayal.

With immense gratitude,

Rich Specht and The ReesSpecht Life Foundation Team

More information about ReesSpecht Life: The ReesSpecht Life Foundation is dedicated to reminding people of the importance of kindness in our communities. We provide scholarships for HS students, perform school assembly programs on bullying prevention and kindness promotion. We are also actively involved in water safety and drowning prevention with our ReesSpecht the Water school assembly programs.