Brunswick Corp. donates life jackets to Sea Tow Foundation
After receiving an overwhelming number of applications for their nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Program, the Sea Tow Foundation called on the boating industry to donate life jackets to help fulfill all of the requests and save boaters’ lives across the country. Brunswick Corporation answered the call and has generously donated 868 life jackets to be repurposed in the Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program.
The Sea Tow Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program is the largest of its kind in the world, with over 1,000 stands located across all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., American Samoa and the Virgin Islands. Established to prevent drowning, each of these stands has life jackets ranging in size from infant to adult extra-large that boaters can borrow and return free of charge to ensure that they have a safe day on the water. In the 2023 boating season applications, the Sea Tow Foundation received more than 250 applications from 46 states – a record number – creating a gap of 15,000 life jackets between what communities and organizations need and what the Sea Tow Foundation is able to provide through grants and donations.
Brunswick’s donated life jackets came specifically from Land ‘N’ Sea warehouses located in Pompano Beach, Florida; Houston, Texas; Detroit, Michigan and Eagan, Minnesota. Land ‘N’ Sea is one of over 60 of Brunswick’s brands and is a full-service, wholesale distributor servicing the boating and recreational vehicle industry. All 868 of the life jackets are from their brand, Seachoice, which is a private label exclusive to Land ‘N’ Sea.
“Safety is our number one priority both on and off the water,” said Mike Conners, Land ‘N’ Sea President. “We are thrilled to participate in the Sea Tow Foundation’s mission to make the water safer for everyone and the donation of Seachoice life jackets to aid in their mission was a perfect way for us to continue to support our great friends at the Sea Tow Foundation.”
“Land ‘N’ Sea’s generous donation of 868 life jackets will have an incredible impact on being able to establish new life jacket loaner stations and replenish existing ones,” says Gail R. Kulp, Executive Director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “This life jacket donation exemplifies the boating industry’s commitment to boating safety, and we hope more companies will follow Brunswick’s lead by donating new or gently used life jackets or providing funding to allow us to purchase more life jackets.”
The 868 Land ‘N’ Sea life jackets are being distributed for immediate use in Florida and Texas and will be ready to use during the upcoming boating season in Michigan and Minnesota. In Pompano Beach, Florida, 63 life jackets will be used at Pelican Harbor Marina at a loaner station hosted by Miami-Dade County Parks. In Houston, Texas, seven life jackets will be used at a loaner station hosted by the Four W’s Fishing Team.
383 life jackets will be used at loaner stations in Michigan hosted by the Ashleigh Iserman Boating Safety Foundation, Manistee Area Leadership Program and the City of Algonac. In Minnesota, 409 life jackets will be distributed to loaner stations hosted by Friends of Pool 2, SWELL Wakesurf, Hub’s Yacht Club and Marina and USACE – Pokegama Dam.
