International Order of the Blue Gavel (IOBG), a society of past yacht club commodores, together with the IOBG Humanitarian Fund announced today that it has provided over 300 life jackets to a non-profit consortium of Next Door Inc., Safe Kids of Columbia River and the Portland District Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
This donation will resupply worn and lost life jackets at 22 life jacket loaner stations located along the Columbia River, Rogue River and in the Willamette Valley at the parks and boat ramps. Visitors recreating on the water can borrow life jackets for the day and return them to the kiosk before leaving.
“District 5 leadership is very excited to expand our partnership on this project by including the IOBG Humanitarian Fund. All IOBG members are all past leaders of boating groups throughout the World and we understand that drowning is preventable. Statistics show that nine out of ten people who drown are not wearing a life jacket.” said Mike Kondrat, President of the IOBG District 5. “Anything we can do to promote water safety is good for our 
boating community.
“Partnering with organizations like the Blue Gavel enables Nex t Door, Safe Kids of Columbia Gorge and the Army Corps of Engineers to support a variety of water sport activities at the numerous recreational parks we manage along the Columbia, Rogue and Willamette watersheds,” said Colonel Aguilar, US Army Corps of Engineers Portland Office. “Providing these much-needed PFDs for our kiosks enables a safer water experience for a wide variety of people enjoying our parks.”
The plan is to deliver these replacement life jackets to each kiosk before the summer recreation season starts. Detailed information on kiosk locations are located at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Locations.aspx under the module titled “Borrow a life jacket”.
In the last two years, the IOBG Organization has provided over $7,000 in life jackets to this consortium as well as kiosks at the 42nd St. ramp, St. Helens dock and to the Daughters of Neptune.
Mike Kondrat
President of IOBG District 5
(503) 819-2775
info@iobg-nsf.org
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