At the recent Progressive Miami International Boat Show, the Sea Tow Foundation operated two Lifejacket Loaner Stations for show attendees walking the docks and taking boats out for pre-purchase sea trials. Sea Tow Foundation also ran a selfie photo contest to bolster lifejacket wear and increase boating safety and spread boating safety awareness. A large crew of volunteers also helped with this project. Here are some highlights from that effort.
Sea Tow Foundation Operates 500 Lifejacket Loaner Stations
Life Jacket Usage
- 86,000+ people attended the Miami Boat show and all of them saw the life jacket loaner station booths, read the signs, asked questions, and borrowed lifejackets. due to our prominent positions at the beginning of Docks 2 and 5.
- 365+ children were fitted with loaner life jackets to walk the docks.
75+ life jackets were borrowed directly by dealers to utilize in sea trials. A list of dealers included:
- Carolina Skiff
- Cox Diesel
- Everglades
- Honda
- Mercury
- Regulator
- Renegade
- Scout
- Suzuki
- Yamaha
Life Jacket Selfie Giveaway Content
In order to further promote the importance of life jacket use, the Sea Tow Foundation launched its first-ever Life Jacket Selfie Giveaway Contest at this year’s show. Through partnerships with NMMA, Onyx, FELL Marine, FishGillz, Navionics, Source4 and Formula Boats, the Sea Tow Foundation gave away five prize packs valued at $3,600 to participants who took a selfie while wearing one of the Sea Tow Foundation life jackets at the boat show and posting that photo to social media using the hashtag #LifeJackets4theWin and tagging the Sea Tow Foundation. The contest saw more than 100 people participate in the five days that the contest was open and winners of the prize packs were randomly selected from the social media posts.
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Banners were printed two-sided and displayed at both life jacket loaner station tents at the Boat Show. Participants took their selfies in front of the backdrop and posted them to social media using the hashtag: #LifeJackets4theWin.
Sea Tow Foundation Volunteers
1. A total of 47 volunteers were able to assist the Sea Tow Foundation in fitting children with life jackets over the course of the 5 days of the boat show. Volunteers included high school students looking for service hours as well as local business representatives, people from local non-profit organizations, and local Sea Tow members. The following businesses, organizations and schools were represented by the volunteers:
- America’s Boating Club Pompano Beach Power Squadron
- America’s Boating Club St. Lucia River Power Squadron
- Benesch Brokers
- Biscayne Bay Foundation
- Bluepoint SUP
- Cambridge Yacht Club
- Florida Power & Light
- Miami Association of Realtors
- Miami Beach Senior High
- Miami Waterkeepers
- Sailing Singles of South Florida
- South Florida Business & Wealth Magazine
For Boatbuilders, Marina and Boatyard Operators and Accessory Makers, Distributors and Retailers:
Sober Skipper Campaign
- We would love to have you engaged and involved in our Sober Skipper Campaign. The campaign is centered around the idea that boaters should choose to be or to designate a Sober Skipper before every boating trip to eliminate Boating Under the Influence accidents. We ask boaters to Take the Pledge that they’ve made this choice.
- You can get involved by liking and sharing the Sea Tow Foundation’s Sober Skipper Facebook Page and its posts.
- You can order a free set of yellow Sober Skipper wristbands to distribute to your staff, customers, etc.
- You can purchase the Sober Skipper Stencil to place the message in front of your building, at boat ramps near you, or at other locations. The stencil can be used with a pressure washer to make “Clean Graffiti” by washing away the dirt in the shape of the stencil for a non-permanent option.
