The Sea Tow Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to boating safety, is seeking donations to help fulfill a record number of life jacket requests it received for its 2023 Life Jacket Loaner Program. More than 250 applications from 46 states were submitted this year, creating a gap of 15,000 life jackets between what cities and organizations need and what the Sea Tow Foundation is able to provide through grants and other funding sources such as Sea Tow member donations. Additionally, the Sea Tow Foundation is working to replace the dozens of Life Jacket Loaner stands destroyed by Hurricane Ian this past year.

The Sea Tow Foundation is asking businesses and individuals to help provide boaters across the country with the resources they need to have a safe and fun day out on the water. Boating companies with a surplus of life jackets can donate them to the Sea Tow Foundation so that boaters can borrow them at one of the 1,000 life jacket loaner stations located across all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., American Samoa and the Virgin Islands.

Retailers are also asked to participate if they have life jackets that are still usable, but are no longer sellable or have undergone label changes or logo rebranding. Life jacket manufacturers can also participate by donating any life jackets that have a blemish on the label or logo. And individuals can also reach out and donate new or gently-used life jackets. All usable life jackets will be added to the Sea Tow Foundation’s nationwide Life Jacket Loaner Program. 

To donate or for more information, click here.