The Grassroots Outreach Program is administered through the North American Safe Boating Campaign: Wear It! Every year, the campaign designates resources to be used for Grassroots efforts around North America. The recipients apply for resources and are chosen by a selection committee using a scoring rubric. In 2016, 20 recipients were selected and while most of their efforts took place from May to September, some are ongoing. Read on and join us as we celebrate their successes! To see some of the work from previous years, visit www.slideshare.net/OutreachNSBC. To learn more about the North American Safe Boating Campaign, visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com.

1. 2016 Grassroots
Outreach Program
as part of the
North American Safe Boating Campaign
www.safeboatingcampaign.com
@BoatingCampaign
Facebook.com/safeboatcampaign

2. Grassroots Outreach Program
The Grassroots Outreach Program is administered through
the North American Safe Boating Campaign: Wear It!
Every year, the campaign designates resources to be used
for Grassroots efforts around North America.
The recipients apply for resources and are chosen by a
selection committee using a scoring rubric.
In 2016, 20 recipients were selected and while most of their
efforts took place from May to September, some are
ongoing. Read on and join us as we celebrate their
successes!
To see some of the work from previous years, visit
www.slideshare.net/OutreachNSBC. To learn more about
the North American Safe Boating Campaign, visit
www.safeboatingcampaign.com.

3. Franciscan Alliance
Foundation
Resources Provided
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Infant Life Jackets
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Child Life Jackets
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Youth Life Jackets
Grassroots Highlight
◦ During Safe Kids Day, the Franciscan Alliance Foundation,
along with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources,
spoke with nearly 70 children and adults.
◦ At the event, they performed life jacket demonstrations and
distributed safety materials.

4. Franciscan Alliance Foundation

5. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 43, District 7
Resources Provided
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Infant Life Jackets
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Child Life Jackets
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Youth Life Jackets
Grassroots Highlight
◦ In the month of May alone, they helped spread the
Wear It! message to over 200 children.
◦ At one event, over 20 children were able to try on a
life jacket. Instructions were provided for the parents
regarding proper fit and size.
◦ They urged parents and children to always wear life
jackets while on boats or docks.

6. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 43, District 7

7. West Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America
Resources Provided
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Child Life Jackets

8. West Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America
Grassroots Highlight
◦ West Central Florida Council hosted eight different events, each of them
were five days long. The life jackets provided were able to accommodate a
total of 40 days of water related activities.
◦ A grand total of 3,600 kids learned the importance of wearing a life jacket.

9. Bay Sea Scouts, Inc.
Resources Provided
◦ Wear It! Hitch Trailer Covers
Grassroots Highlight
◦ The Bay Sea Scouts, Inc. handed out the Wear It! Trailer
Covers in Bay Village, Ohio and surrounding areas.
◦ This was a great way to spread the Wear It! message to
those who may see it while driving.
◦ A boater who placed a Wear It! Hitch cover on his trailer
commented: "Yes, the hitch cover did remind me to check
our life jacket status before launching as I had to remove it
to install my trailer ball."

10. Bay Sea Scouts, Inc.

11. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary,
Flotilla 054-08-03 New River
Valley, VA
Resources Provided
◦ Boating Safety “Sidekicks” Go Boating books
◦ “Sidekicks” Group Banner
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Promoted Wear It! at multiple events, many of
them occurring all year long, reaching over 6,000
people.

12. Dallas Sail & Power Squadron
Resources Provided
◦ Wear It! and National Safe Boating Council whistles
◦ Saved by the Jacket DVD
◦ Wear It! Banner
◦ Boating Safety “Sidekicks” Color-A-Fish Booklets
◦ Boating Safety “Sidekicks” Tattoos
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Utilized Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and passed around flyers to grab the attention of local
boaters at the largest inland marina in Texas.

13. Dallas Sail & Power Squadron

14. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 13-6-63
Resources Provided
◦ Wear It! Stickers
◦ $250 Dairy Queen Gift Cards
Grassroots Highlight
◦ The Dairy Queen gift cards were distributed at four different events to reward children who
were already wearing their life jackets.
◦ “Many of the recipients were small children, however many of the adults commented that
regardless of the Oregon law, they required everyone on the vessel to wear life jackets.”

15. Remembering Wyatt Dale Water Safety
Resources Provided
◦ Wear It! Decals
◦ Wear It! Patches
◦ Wear It! Banner
◦ Wear It! Whistles
◦ Wear It! Stickers
◦ Boating Safety “Sidekicks” Temporary Tattoos
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Participated in Ready, Set, Wear It! Life Jacket World Record Day for the second year in a row
and the turn-out doubled in 2016 with 600 participants.

16. Remembering Wyatt Dale Water Safety

17. Individual Grassroots Recipient
Christa Waite
Resources Provided
◦ Wear It! Whistles
◦ National Safe Boating Council Whistles
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Christa distributed all of the whistles at three events.
◦ “I gave members several whistles. I saw them later tubing and the person riding the tube had
fallen off. She did have her life jacket on! I thought it was interesting how she had secured
her whistle to her wrist where she could use it while in the water!”

18. Individual Grassroots Recipient
Christa Waite

19. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 3-10
Callao, Virginia
Resources Provided
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Infant, Child, and Youth Life Jackets
◦ Wear It! Banner
◦ Wear It! Whistles
◦ Emergency Radio Call Procedures Decal, Almost a Perfect Day DVD, and Wear It! Posters
Grassroots Highlight
◦ “We worked with four local county school systems and a total of five schools and 670
kids. We have already been approached by two other school systems including a home school
system for the class.”
◦ In addition to the 670 kids who were exposed to the Wear It! message, an additional 300
people learned about the importance of life jacket safety at Rivahfest.

20. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary,
Flotilla 054-26-01
Resources Provided
◦ Mustang Survival M.I.T. Inflatable Life Jackets
with Wear It! patch
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Participated in the Supra Wake-boarding
championships on Lake Norman promoting
Wear It!
◦ They even had a news segment about their
work on Lake Norman keeping boaters safe
where the Wear It! logo made an
appearance. The reporter inflated a life
jacket on Fox 45, which reaches an average
of 13,700 views per post. Watch here!

21. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary,
Flotilla 054-26-01

22. Rock River Trail Initiative
Resources Provided
◦ Wear It! Banners
◦ Wear It! Signs
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Participated in three events to educate the public
through the Wear It! campaign, reaching a total of
60 people.
◦ “We found that most water recreationists are aware
of state laws requiring PFDs/life jackets/buoyant
cushions in watercraft. A few comments thanked us
for the important reminders via signage.“

23. Rock River Trail
Initiative

24. Forest Preserve District of
Will County
Resources Provided
◦ Adult Life Jackets from Absolute Outdoor, Inc.
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Youth Life Jackets
◦ Color-A-Fish booklets
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Reached over 300 people at just four events with the life-
saving message: Wear It!
◦ Forest Preserve District of Will County was able to collect 147
surveys based on life jacket behavior. They think the data will
be of particular use when creating their safety programming
for 2017.
◦ “When we made people aware of the chance to fill out a
boating safety quiz for a chance to win a life jacket they were
really excited and grateful for the opportunity.”

25. Forest
Preserve
District of
Will County

26. Howard County Recreation and Parks
Wear It! Resources Provided
◦ Adult Life Jackets from Coleman-Stearns
Grassroots Highlight
◦ “The partnership between Howard County Recreation and
Parks and the NSBC is one that benefits all involved. We
spread the word on the Wear It! Campaign on a daily basis,
and you have provided us with excellent life jackets that
will help keep our customers safe.”
◦ To date, they have seen an increase in the number of life
jackets worn as well as the number of life jackets that are
returned to the loaner board.

27. Lake Sinissippi
Improvement District
Wear It! Campaign Resources Provided
◦ Lil’ Legends Mustang Child Life Jackets
Grassroots Highlight
◦ Learn To Fish Day, with help from Wisconsin DNR, was a huge
success by providing children and their families with key
information regarding life jackets as well as showing how fun
fishing can be.
◦ “Yes! We went boating that same day and Grace is being
taught that she cannot go near the water without her new
life jacket.”
◦ “First and foremost, THANK YOU! We are so grateful for this
life jacket. As a family who likes to canoe & fish, we are now
able to share our love of the water with our granddaughter at
an early age.”

28. Lake Sinissippi Improvement District

29. Peoria Fire and Medical Department
Wear It! Resources Provided
◦ Wear It! logo wraps on the Peoria Fire Engine 199
Grassroots Highlight
◦ The truck was sent out to community events at Lake Pleasant including the 50,000 people at
lake on the 4th of July and boat races occurring throughout the Fall of 2016 expect to draw
125,000 people.
◦ The truck drove across the country several times for wildfires. The wrapped truck acts as a
rolling billboard reminder to wear a life jacket.
◦ The Peoria Fire Engine 199 was featured during a Halloween party at Lake Pleasant where
3,000 people saw the Wear It! message.

30. Peoria Fire and
Medical
Department

31. Grassroots Efforts
Making a Difference!
- How many individual resources
were provided? 1,051
- How much money was awarded?
$5,000
- How many organizations or
individuals were awarded grant
money? 20
- How many events occurred in
total? 93
◦ Some are still ongoing!
- How many people were reached?
65,195
- How many life jackets were
provided? 91
Over 65,000 people reached with the
Wear It! life jacket message!

32. Get Involved!
@BoatingCampaign
Facebook.com/safeboatcampaign
Diane Corish, NSBC Communications Coordinator
dcorish@safeboatingcouncil.org | (703) 361-4294
www.safeboatingcampaign.com