BoatU.S. Foundation awards 2004 boating safety grants

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety & Clean Water has just awarded over $45,000 in grants to nonprofit groups that spread the message about safe-boating practices, it said in a statement today.

Of the more than 114 applications, 25 groups from Alabama to Washington were selected to receive grants.

With this year’s grant focus on the dangers of CO poisoning, 12 of the 25 groups included this theme in their grant programs, which ranged from the distribution of temporary CO detectors to purchasing billboards and erecting boat ramp signage highlighting the dangers, the organization reported.

The foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit education and research organization, said other grant projects included producing a Spanish-language New York Harbor safe-boating tips brochure, installation of a VHF repeater system on Lake Shasta, Calif., and printing hurricane preparedness brochures.

To encourage excellence in grant implementation, these groups will be eligible for a new honor, the Boating Safety Outreach Award, which will be bestowed to the group that completes the most innovative, resourceful and effective grant project, according to BoatU.S. Groups providing the foundation a final report at the completion of their project will compete for the award.

“We’ll evaluate how successful each group was in terms of effectiveness, professionalism, innovation and the use of positive messages,” said Ruth Wood, president of the BoatU.S. Foundation. “This is a way for us to say, ‘job well done’, and supplement a successful program with extra funds.”

Since 1988, the foundation has awarded over $575,000 in boating-safety grants to fund projects that promote responsible boating at the local level. Funds are derived from the voluntary contributions of the 550,000 members of Boat Owners Association of the United States, (BoatU.S.).

2004 BoatU.S. Foundation Boating Safety Grant Recipients:

Alaska
– Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, Sitka
Arkansas
– USCG Auxiliary 8WR, White Hall
Arizona
– USCG Auxiliary 11SR-10, Phoenix
California
– Santa Clara Power Squadron, USPS District 25, Palo Alto
– USCG Auxiliary 11NR-3-9, Redding
– USCG Auxiliary 11NR-12-91, Lafayette
Florida
– USCG Auxiliary 7-9-5, Marco Island
– USCG Auxiliary 7-4-4, Daytona Beach
– Homasassa Safe Boating, Inc., Hernando
Iowa
– Iowa Great Lakes Water Safety Council, Spirit Lake
Maryland
– USCG Auxiliary 5-7-1, Rockville
– USCG Auxiliary 5S-1-8, Annapolis
Michigan
– USCG Auxiliary 9C-16-6, Sault Ste. Marie
Minnesota
– Outdoor Heritage Education Center, Shakopee
New Hampshire
– Lakes Region Sail & Power Squadron, Belmont
New Jersey
– USCG Auxiliary 5NR-13-6, Palmyra
New York
– USCG Auxiliary 14-5-3, New York
– USCG Auxiliary 1S-22, Northport
– Coxsackie Yacht Club, Coxsackie
– USCG Auxiliary – 1SR-10-13, Hewitt
North Carolina
– Lake Wylie, Mountain Island Marine Commission & the Lighthouse Marine
Service, Charlotte
Rhode Island
– USCG Auxiliary – 1NR – 07-06, Warwick
Texas
– Austin Power Squadron, Austin
Virginia
– USCG Auxiliary 5SR-6-64, Hayes
Washington
– Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Center, Tacoma

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