What We Do
We are TJs parents, Olga and Travone Mister Sr. The legacy of our son lives on! TJ came into our lives as a firecracker and left as a rainbow.
T.J. Mister, at the age of 6, drowned at the Kennedy Recreation Center in St. Louis County, lacking enough lifeguards.
TJ Mister believed, "We do not give up even if we are sad, we do not give up. Never!”
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Incredible Sponsors
We are thrilled to announce that our 3rd Annual Bowling Fundraiser for Swimming Lessons raised an impressive $7,000! This amazing achievement was made possible by the generous support of our sponsors.
All proceeds will be donated to Goldfish Swim School swimming lessons.
A special thank you goes out to our Sponsors Meet Mags, Vangel's Restaurant & Bar, and Every Child a Swimmer. Your commitment to our mission has played a vital role in funding essential swimming lessons for our community, helping to ensure that more children and families gain the skills and confidence needed for water safety.
Thank you for your unwavering support and for being an integral part of our journey. We look forward to continuing this partnership and making waves of positive change together.
With sincere appreciation,
The Mister Family
"We are dedicated and we're motivated we do not give up even if we are sad we do not give up. Never!" By TJ Mister
Our 3rd Annual Bowling Fundraiser at Crestwood Bowl St. Louis was an incredible success. We truly appreciate everyone who attended and supported our mission.
Olga and Travone Mister Sr. want justice for their son T.J. Mister.
On November 22nd, 2022, Olga Mister, the mother of TJ Mister, spoke in front of the Saint Louis County Council, asking the committee to change the law and regulate camps. We need to prevent this tragedy from happening to anyone else. We cannot have our son back, but we can save another family from this pain. Watch the video.
Watch Video
Travone Mister Jr. death could have been prevented
Watch Video
No one notices a drowning child at a St. Louis summer camp
FOX 2NOW. NEWS
by: Chris Hayes
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – No one noticed at summer camp when a 6-year-old swimmer was struggling for air and sank to the bottom of a pool.
The video shows what appears to be one camp counselor with the children lined up. TJ, meanwhile, was struggling for air. No one noticed until five minutes passed. At about 1:19 p.m., you can see the lifeguard climb down from his stand and sprint to the other side in a failed rescue. Learn more
Watch Video
Parents find many camps are unregulated after 6-year-old drowns in St. Louis County
KSDK NEWS
by: Christine Byers
The Misters say St. Louis County leaders failed on multiple levels to keep their son safe that day, including a lack of lifeguards, a 911 call center glitch, and an email from a councilman demanding the pool open for the season despite warnings that there weren’t enough lifeguards. Learn more
2nd Annual Bowling Fundraiser for TJ's Birthday
February 18, 2024
Happy Birthday T.J.! (Feb 19.2016)
TJ Mister’s family, friends hold fundraiser to remember 6-year-old boy that drowned.
The fundraiser for T.J. Mister collected more than $3,000 for free swimming scholarships. Read more
Affton Honors T.J.
A 6-year-old boy that drowned at a summer camp was honored in special tribute at a football game. Watch the event video.
FOX2NOW. NEWS
AFFTON, Mo. – Affton High School honored 6-year-old TJ Mister, who tragically drowned in a south St. Louis County pool while at summer camp in July.
The school paid a special tribute to TJ at a football game by giving his parents flowers, a special helmet with signatures from the whole team, and a brick laid in the school’s memorial pavilion with his name on it. “He would feel very grateful and honored,” said Olga Mister, TJ’s mom. Learn more
St. Louis Zoo Fundraiser
To raise awareness regarding swimming safety and honor TJ’s memory with a memorial at the St. Louis Zoo. Watch the event video
On November 6th, 2022, the community joined at Shrewsbury Bowling lanes in Affton, Missouri to raise money for the Saint Louis Zoo in TJ’s honor.
TJ’s Story Organization raised $10,500 to donate to the Saint Louis Zoo for future improvements.
The Bench Project donated a bench to Bayless Elementary School in honor of TJ Mister. In October 2022, a bench in TJ’s honor was installed in the Bayless Elementary School, where he grew up and graduated from preschool in 2021.