Senate passes NMD resolution

swadminJune 26, 2007

WASHINGTON – The United States Senate has passed a resolution proclaiming Aug. 11, 2007 as National Marina Day across the country, the Association of Marina Industries said in a release yesterday.

Senate Resolution 173 was sponsored by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and supports the goals of National Marina Day. It urges America’s marinas to continue to serve as environmentally friendly gateways to boating. A similar measure introduced by Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), House Resolution 343, was passed by the United States House of Representatives on May 15.

“Recreational boating remains a central part of the identity and history of communities across the nation,” said Stabenow. “My home state of Michigan alone contains over 750 marinas that serve to boost local economies while provide family-friendly recreation.”

NMD Chairman Brad St. Coeur, CMM agreed, saying, “We are pleased that the Senate followed the House of Representatives’ lead in recognizing the importance of marinas across the U.S. by passing the Senate resolution supporting National Marina Day. Senator Stabenow continues to be a strong advocate for the marina industry and we are grateful to have her support on this very important day in the industry.”

NMD Start-Up Kit created

In a separate release yesterday, St. Coeur also said that National Marina Day Start-Up Kits have been produced to aid first-time participants who would like to host an event.

The kits, which have been added to the Association of Marina Industries’ National Marina Day Web site, www.MarinaAssociation.org/nmd, are free and available to download.

“The Start-Up Kit is a wonderful way for a facility that is new to celebrating NMD to access a quick, user-friendly guide geared for easy and effective implementation without organizers feeling overwhelmed by the entire resource kit their first time,” St. Coeur said. “We want as many marinas as possible to celebrate this important industry event and it is our hope that this Start-Up Kit will give facilities the motivation to get started on their event today.”

Among the materials included in the kits are:

A planning timeline leading up to National Marina Day.

A sample one-page news release marina operators and owners can use to announce National Marina Day and encourage community participation in their scheduled events.

A sample letter to customers communicating the vital role marinas play in waterfront cities and towns, not only as gateways to boating and stewards of the environment, but as vibrant communities of families and friends sharing a passion for the water.

A sample letter to local, state and federal officials educating them about the critical roles marinas play in America.

Electronic links to groups that provide free or very inexpensive resources to help celebrate NMD while at the same time helping to spread messages pertaining to boating safety, environmental responsibility and the importance of marina facilities to their local communities.

National Marina Day is produced by the Association of Marina Industries and is an annual nationwide celebration of America’s marinas.