Date: May 31, 2006
Contact: Roxxane Dey, (702) 293-8947
The Boat U.S. Foundation’s "Life Jacket Loaner Program For Kids," added Forever Resorts’ Cottonwood Cove Marina to the list of more than 400 locations currently participating in this national program. The "Life Jacket Loaner Program for Kids" provides a simple way for parents to borrow a properly sized children's life jacket (for the day or weekend) at no charge.
Cottonwood Cove Marina is located on the Nevada side of Lake Mohave. The majority of their visitation comes from Southern Nevada.
"Having life jackets for everyone aboard means having a life jacket that fits everyone," said Chris Edmonston, director of boating safety for the BoatUS Foundation. "An oversized vest can easily slip off over a child's head, so that's where we can help boaters with our Loaner Program. We make it easy by bringing children's life jackets right to the waterfront where boaters need them and they are absolutely free. Once the family is done enjoying the water, they simply return the jacket," he added.
The Foundation provided Cottonwood Cove Marina with a "kit" of 12 life jackets (a selection of infant, child, and youth jacket sizes), protective storage bin, sign-out sheets and program signage, allowing hundreds of children all summer long to safely enjoy an afternoon, day or weekend on a boat with their families and friends.
If a family discovers they don’t have enough properly-fitting children’s life jackets for their time at the lake, they can visit Cottonwood Cove Resort and Marina and sign out an infant, child or youth jacket for the day or the weekend. When finished using the jacket, they simply return it to Cottonwood Cove’s Boat Rental Office
"We want to thank the BoatUS Foundation and Forever Resorts Cottonwood Cove Marina for implementing this free life jacket loaner program for kids. We understand that sometimes families invite friends on their trips to the lake and sometimes they are not enough life jackets that fit properly. We hope the public will take advantage of this free loaner program at Cottonwood Cove Marina," said Park Superintendent Bill Dickinson.
Since its inception nine years ago, the BoatUS Foundation life jacket loaner program has saved the lives of at least three children. It is estimated that BoatUS life jackets are loaned out more than 50,000 times a year. Every state now has at least one life jacket loaner location.
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit education and research organization primarily funded by the voluntary contributions of 640,000 members of BoatUS
Businesses or organizations interested in participating in a life jacket loaner program, can next apply to the program in the fall of 2006 by going to http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/LJLP
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a unit of the National Park Service.
