Thank you to everyone who was involved in this year’s Ready, Set, Wear It! Life Jacket World Record Day! The National Safe Boating Council is inspired to know so many dedicated individuals around the world are committed to making recreational boating safer. More than 36,784 people have participated in the event since 2010 – wow!
At 210 events around the world, 6,784 participants inflated their life jacket or wore an inherently buoyant life jacket on May 21, 2016. Talk about collaborating to share one united message: there were 92 events in the United States, 10 events in Canada, 1 event in Brazil, 1 event in Poland, and 1 event in South Korea.
While every single event is helping to make a difference in educating boaters about the importance of life jacket wear, we had a few shining stars that really took this year’s Ready, Set, Wear It! Life Jacket World Record Day to a whole new level. The Marine Sports Foundation coordinated 105 events and broke the record for the number of life jackets worn in one day in Japan! They increased the number of events from last year by 32. A total of 3,043 participants, with 375 wearing inflatable life jackets, 2,657 wearing inherently buoyant life jackets, and 11 dogs wearing life jackets participated in Ready, Set, Wear It! in Japan.
And, here in the U.S., 30 states and 1 territory participated with the largest event hosted by the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection in Bluff Point State Park, with 394 participants. The following list includes the states that have broken the state record for the most life jackets worn in one day: Hawaii, South Carolina, and Washington.
And talk about our world record event having an impact in the real-world! During an event in Ontario, Canada, a woman flipped over in her kayak about 20 meters off shore. She realized quickly the importance of wearing a life jacket, exclaiming “Well, my life jacket works!” after ascending to the surface. David Donaldson, the event coordinator and founder of NOW Events, said he finds Ready, Set, Wear It! to be a great way to spread awareness of life jacket safety and looks forward to increased participation next year.
A special thanks to Leland Ltd. and iSi Components who provided replacement cartridges and additional products to allow participants the opportunity to inflate and practice re-arming inflatable life jackets. Marine retail sponsor Cabela’s hosted Ready, Set, Wear It! events at select store locations.
We are extremely proud of everyone who volunteered to spend their Saturday – and many other days throughout the year – promoting life jacket and boating safety. The volunteers who participate in Ready, Set, Wear It! motivate us and those around them. 6,784 total participants is something to be proud of – and we know there are already groups planning events for next year to break the 2015 record! Challenge accepted!
Check out more awesome photos from this year’s event at www.facebook.com/readysetwearit! If you want to share your story from Ready, Set, Wear It! please contact NSBC Communications Coordinator Diane Corish at dcorish@safeboatingcouncil.org or (703) 361-4294.