Sea Tow Foundation Celebrates Neptune Award

The Sea Tow Foundation , a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting boating safety, was recently honored with a Neptune Award from the Marine Marketers of America (MMA). The Foundation won the award for Best Grassroots Event Marketing for the campaign surrounding the opening of their 1,000th Life Jacket Loaner Stand in September of 2022.   

“We are so honored and grateful to have won the Neptune Award for Best Grassroots Event Marketing,” said Gail R. Kulp, executive director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “The opening of our 1,000th Life Jacket Loaner Stand marked a significant milestone for the Sea Tow Foundation as this helped bring tremendous awareness to the importance of wearing a life jacket by highlighting loaner locations across the country where boaters can borrow and return a life jacket free of charge.”   

The awards featured 22 different categories covering a range of original marketing content and collateral with hundreds of entries, all of which were judged by a committee of industry professionals. This year’s awards were presented during the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show on February 15.   

The Sea Tow Foundation’s 1,000th Life Jacket Loaner Stand Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place in Clearwater, Florida, and featured high profile speakers from across the boating industry including the commander of US Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission representatives, the Pinellas County Commissioner, the National Safe Boating Council’s executive director, and the president of Sea Tow Services International, among others. Speakers discussed boating safety, the importance of wearing life jackets, and the overall impact of the Life Jacket Loaner Program on both the Clearwater community and the boating industry, ensuring people can make safe, fun, and lasting memories on the water for years to come. The event was marketed via social media, earned media, email newsletters, and through community members, and earned national media coverage as well as coverage from multiple industry publications and podcasts resulting in 225 media hits reaching 57.5 million potential viewers. It also drove successful fundraising efforts thanks to a partnership and donation match from MarineMax .