Did you know African-American children are 3 times more likely to drown than white children? This statistic became tragically real when this week’s CNN Hero lost her 16-year-old son, Josh, in a drowning accident about 6 years ago. Wanda Butts turned her grief into action, giving all children in her community the opportunity to learn to swim. In memory of her son, she created the Josh Project, a non-profit swimming and water-safety organization that targets minorities. To date, The Josh Project has taught this life-saving skill to more than 1,000 children in Toledo, Ohio.

Read her full story and nominate a Hero of your own at CNN.com/Heroes.