North American Safe Boating Awareness Week 2016

It´s time to start your engines, hoist your sails and grab your paddles!  North American Safe Boating Awareness Week 2016 is on the horizon and it´s time to get busy!  Once again, we need you to join the crew.

The May long weekend has traditionally been considered by many as the unofficial start of the Canadian boating season.  Since 1992, the Canadian Safe Boating Council has been striving to remind boaters before they head out on the water of the following 5 key points:

1.      Always wear your lifejacket or PFD
2.      Don´t drink & boat.
3.      Take a boating course
4.      Be prepared; both you and your boat
5.      Be knowledgeable of the risks of cold water immersion

What´s really gratifying is that we´re making a difference.  The statistics reporting boating-related accidents and fatalities is steadily decreasing!
We need you to help us spread this messaging by reaching out to your fellow Canadian boaters both directly through your own organizations and through the media...and it´s easier than you think.

The Safe Boating Awareness Week web pages on the CSBC site contain a wealth of Radio PSAs, TV PSAs, timely articles, magazine ads and more.  As they are all copyright free, you can either incorporate into your own internal communications or approach your local Community Television station, Radio station or weekly Community Newspaper

To learn more about this year´s campaign and view the materials that are available copyright free for your use, click here.  We also encourage you to spend some time with our Volunteer E-Guide that provides a step-by-step guide to help you with all your volunteer activities.

There´s nothing like the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you´re saving lives, and we have the tools and activities to help you do just that! Register right now as a 2016 campaign volunteer by sending an email with your contact information to me at sbaw@csbc.ca or give me a call at 905-719-5152.  Together we can make the start of this boating season meaningful and fun while promoting boating safety!
 
BE PART OF SETTING A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR LIFEJACKET WEAR!

Join Canada, the U.S. and a host of other countries on May 21st in beating last year´s record of 10,917 Ready, Set, Wear it participants over 12 countries! Get together with one or more of your friends and take a picture of you wearing/inflating your lifejackets. Visit http://www.readysetwearit.com  to learn more and either join an event or register your own!

Ian Gilson
SBAW Volunteer Outreach Manager
sbaw@csbc.ca

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