Our 4th Annual Bowling Fundraiser at Shrewsbury Lanes was an incredible success!
We are beyond grateful to everyone who came out to support our mission and to honor and celebrate our beloved TJ.
All proceeds will be donated to Goldfish Swim School swimming lessons.
Together, we reached our $5,000 fundraising goal—and thanks to Every Child a Swimmer that total will be matched, doubling the impact of every single donation. This would not have been possible without our amazing volunteers and supporters. The Duck Pond sold out within the first 30 minutes, one lucky winner took home more than $500 in the 50/50 drawing, and over 33 raffle baskets were happily claimed. Our auction items were also a tremendous success, with so many guests leaving with incredible prizes.
We are so thankful for the full house, the generosity, and the kindness that filled the room. The love we share for one another and for our children is truly priceless.
Thank you for helping us carry TJ’s legacy forward as we continue raising awareness and saving lives, one scholarship at a time.
With sincere appreciation,
The Mister Family
Who We Are
Founded in November 2022 in loving memory of TJ Mister, TJs Story Organization is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) based in St. Louis, Missouri. We started TJs Story after the tragic loss of our six-year-old son in a summer camp pool. No life should ever be lost this way.
Our mission is to protect children in camps and raise awareness about swimming safety, working tirelessly to prevent drownings in summer camp pools and save lives.
We collaborate with various organizations to spotlight the need for better safety measures in unregulated camps across Missouri, striving to create a safer environment for every child. Together, we’re making a difference.
Children should not have 50 different levels of protection depending on where they live.
33 states have no regulations for camps
Only a handful have basic standards
No national oversight
No federal safety rules
No required ratios
No required lifeguards
No required training
This system is broken.
“We do not give up even if we are sad. We do not give up Never!” - Travone Mister Jr.
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Our Mission
TJs Story is dedicated to our son Travone Maurice Mister Jr, who was six years old when he died from negligence at a Kennedy Rec Center in St. Louis County summer camp. TJs unfathomable death brings to light a problem we need to change. We learned that his death was preventable during our search for answers. Missouri does not regulate camps for children, leading to our son’s death.
Our son TJ was an innocent soul with his whole life ahead of him. We want to prevent another death of a child.
Summer camps in Missouri are completely unregulated!
Summer camps are exempt from childcare licensing in Missouri and Illinois.
What does this mean?
No required background checks
No requirement for the number of adults needed to supervise children
No required facility safety inspection
No healthcare provider on staff
No emergency action plan
Our mission is to raise awareness within the community, to bring change to the requirements and regulations, and create TJs Law that will protect the children of our future. We want to educate parents on the dangers of unregulated camps. Learn more
We will not give up until Missouri protects our children and makes summer camps safe.
