Life Jacket Loaner Program Seeks Donations

The  Sea Tow Foundation , a nonprofit organization dedicated to boating safety, is seeking donations to help fulfill the life jacket requests they received for their 2023  Life Jacket Loaner Program . More than 250 applications from 46 states – a record number – were submitted this year, creating a gap of 15,000 life jackets between what cities and organizations need and what the Sea Tow Foundation is able to provide through grants and other funding sources such as Sea Tow member donations. Additionally, the Sea Tow Foundation is working to replace the dozens of Life Jacket Loaner stands destroyed by Hurricane Ian this past year.  

The Sea Tow Foundation is asking for businesses and individuals to help provide boaters across the country with the resources they need to have a safe and fun day out on the water. Boating companies with a surplus of life jackets can donate them to the Sea Tow Foundation so that boaters can borrow them at the organization’s over 1,000 life jacket loaner stations located across all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. Retailers are also asked to participate if they have life jackets that are still usable, but are no longer sellable or have undergone label changes or logo rebranding. Life jacket manufacturers can also participate by donating any life jackets that have a blemish on the label or logo. And individuals can also reach out and donate their new or gently-used life jackets, too. All usable life jackets will be added to the Sea Tow Foundation’s nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Program.    

If you have life jackets to donate, please reach out to the Sea Tow Foundation at  info@boatingsafety.com .  

Companies and individuals who don’t have life jackets available to donate are still invited to help. Monetary donations will be used by the Sea Tow Foundation to directly purchase life jackets and loaner stands that can be sent out to the many cities and organizations in need. A $100 donation funds the purchase and shipping of four life jackets for the Life Jacket Loaner Program and $1,500 funds the purchase of a stand and all the life jackets for it. Every dollar raised helps keep boaters safe across the country. Make a tax-deductible  donation to  the Sea Tow Foundation at  www.boatingsafety.com/donate .