$1M in Grants for Boating Safety Awarded to Sea Tow Foundation

The Sea Tow Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting boating safety, will receive over $1 million in grants to advance its Life Jacket Loaner Program and Sober Skipper Campaign.

The Life Jacket Loaner Program Grant will run for three years. The Sea Tow Foundation has over 950 Life Jacket Loaner Stations across the country, allowing boaters to borrow life jackets to ensure they stay safe out on the water. The funding will go towards purchasing new life jackets and stand building kits, online promotion of the program through social media and virtual conferences and the purchase of a CRM database to automate the life jacket drive process.

The Sober Skipper Campaign and Scientific Research Grant will run until September 2023. The funding will go towards the continued promotion of the campaign, which encourages boaters to always have a designated Sober Skipper behind the helm to help eliminate alcohol related boating accidents, injuries and deaths. The grant will also fund an in-person study conducted by a San Diego State University researcher to determine whether reminding boaters to have a Sober Skipper prior to heading out on the water will impact their behavior.

Boating Under the Influence is the leading cause of all fatal boating accidents, and is 100% preventable. Similarly, last year, 83% of the people who died in a boating incident drowned because they weren’t wearing a life jacket. The Sea Tow Foundation strives to tackle boating safety issues, like these, and both grants will allow the foundation to advance its advocacy work and educational efforts.