Contests

Manassas, VA - The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) has launched its second annual Boating Safety Sidekicks contest titled this year "I'm a Safe Boater, Are You?". Expanding on the "Why I Wear My Life Jacket" contest from 2005, the NSBC has partnered with West Marine and Within Reach to expand the contest to include not only essays but posters or videos to tell others what kids do to be safe boaters. We hope that by hearing these stories their parents, brothers, sisters, families and friends will realize how important it is for children as well as adults to wear their life jackets and boat safely. Kids between the ages of 4 to 15 are eligible to enter anytime between now and January 1, 2007.

Stories should be between 150 and 750 words in length and tell about a particular boating experience or safe boating habit in which you wear your life jacket and follow other practices to be a safe boater. Posters should be 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 14 and contain a simple message to inspire others to boat safely. Computer generated submissions must be as one jpg, tiff or eps file. Videos can range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes in length and must show life jacket wear. They can be submitted as mpeg files on CD or DVD. The title of all entries should be "I'm a Safe Boater, Are You?" and demonstrate what you do to be safer on the water.

Once again first, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in each of the three age groups. First place awards will give a $100 savings bond, a life jacket, one NSBC member donated prize, Sidekicks cap and DVD and recognition on the Sidekicks website. Please visit the Boating Safety Sidekicks website at www.boatingsidekicks.com for more information on the contest and how to enter. We are looking forward to hearing from you.