Cutting to the chase, Chuck. Is there an address in which people can
donate to this cause?


Chuck Gould wrote:
Info that might be useful to members of fishing clubs, etc, elsewhere
in the country:

Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center and Washington State
Parks
participate in "Keep Hope Afloat" campaign

5,000 Mustang Survival children's lifejackets to be given away at the
Washington Sportsmen's Show®, January 24-28

PUYALLUP---With a daily giveaway of up to 1,000 properly fitted
lifejackets
to children 12 and under, "Keep Hope Afloat" makes its debut at the
Washington Sportsmen's Show®, January 24-28 at the Puyallup Fair and
Events
Center. The five-day show is presented by Toyota.

A major campaign to educate families about water safety and avoiding
drowning in area lakes, rivers and Puget Sound (or closer to home...a
backyard pool), "Keep Hope Afloat" is a program developed by the PFD
Charitable Foundation and presented by Children's Hospital and Regional
Medical Center and Washington State Parks.

As part of the giveaway, children and their parents will participate in
a
10-minute boating safety presentation conducted by representatives of
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Washington State
Parks, the
U.S. Coast Guard and volunteer organizations.

Manufactured by industry leader Mustang Survival of Richmond, B.C., the
lifejackets have been purchased by the PFD Charitable Foundation and
have a
retail value of over $50 each. The PFD Charitable Foundation, whose
sole
mission is to get children into properly fitted life jackets, conducts
fundraising in order to purchase lifejackets, which are then donated,
to
families at public events.

The daily giveaway of 1,000 properly fitted lifejackets is limited to
children 12 and under and sizes are limited to quantities on hand. A
child
must be present in order to receive their lifejacket.

The PFD Charitable Foundation is also encouraging families, facilities
and
clubs to donate used youth and adult lifejackets that are in good
condition
but no longer fit. These jackets will be inspected and certified by
U.S.
Coast Guard officials and re-distributed to boating safety programs and
organizations throughout the Northwest, or discarded if they are in
poor
condition. In exchange, donors may receive a new youth lifejacket (ages
12
and under). Tax-deductible cash donations can also be made at the show
and
receipts for tax purposes will be provided.

"This is a great opportunity for families to learn how to stay safe
while
they have fun around the water. At the same time, they can better
protect
their children by getting a comfortable, stylish, properly fitted
lifejacket," said Elizabeth Bennett, health education manager at
Children's
Hospital and Regional Medical Center. "No one expects to get into
trouble in
the water. Wearing a lifejacket is one of the best ways to be
prepared."

"If a child's lifejacket isn't the right size, it won't work
properly-and
that puts their life at risk," said Dan Shipman, U. S. Coast Guard
program
manager for recreational boating safety in this region. "This is a
unique
initiative giving families the tools and education to keep their
children
safe."

Washington State regulations require that children 12 and under wear a
properly sized, U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket on any boat under
19
feet. In addition, all boats (regardless of size) must carry a
properly
fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket for every person onboard.

As the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children
in
the United States under the age of 14, drowning can be prevented,
according
to Dr. Linda Quan, national drowning expert at Children's Hospital and
Regional Medical Center. In Washington State, 90 children under the
age of
15 drowned from 1999-2003.

"In too many cases, drowning deaths could have been avoided if the
child had
been wearing a properly fitted lifejacket," said Dr. Quan. "'Keep Hope
Afloat' is big step towards avoiding tragic deaths and educating the
public
about safe conduct in and near the water."

Representatives from Mustang Survival (www.mustangsurvival.com) will be
on
hand to answer questions from parents about the company's lifesaving
gear,
including its latest inflatable lifejackets and flotation coats "for
sale"
at the show for all members of the family. The Vancouver, B.C.-based
manufacturer of life jackets and survival equipment is an avid
supporter of
The PFD Charitable Foundation's boating safety program, and supports
the
Washington Sportsmen' Show for their vision and commitment in offering
this
non-profit outreach.

"We support many water safety programs, but this one certainly raises
the
bar, and stands out in making a direct impact," said Bob Askew, CEO of
Mustang Survival.

"Keep Hope Afloat" and other feature attractions join a huge line-up of
fishing and hunting displays at the state's largest sporstmen's show
event.
For more information, visit www.otshows.com

The 2007 Washington Sportsmen Show® presented by Toyota