Basketball legend Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” 

No one group, no matter how dedicated, can change the behavior of all 78 million boaters on the water. That is one reason for North American Safe Boating Week (National Safe Boating Week): it is a specific period of time when hundreds of boating safety organizations are encouraged to do what they are able to promote life jacket wear.  Reaching 78 million boaters is much more likely when groups come together.  Simply put, it is about strength in numbers.

In fact, “joining forces” can help many aspects of your organization’s National Safe Boating Week campaign, starting within your organization and branching out by building relationships with those in your community:

• Good partnering starts close to home.  Start by putting together a National Safe Boating Week committee within your own organization. Brainstorm creative ideas for events. Discuss what activities must be done to get the “Wear It!” message out and how to go about each step. Be sure to assign tasks so that the bulk of the efforts does not fall on a couple of people.

• It’s who you know…Think about the people you know and try to mentally connect them to your campaign. Does a friend know a business owner who might donate prizes for an event? Does someone’s employer tend to lend the company’s name to community projects? Chances are you already know the marina operators and owners of the tackle shops. Building on already-established relationships could increase your chances of getting support of one kind or another.

• …and those you don’t. Even if you do not have an existing connection with a person or business capable of lending support, now is the time to reach out and make one. Large companies with a presence in local communities will often underwrite good causes. And call the mayor and see if he or she will officially acknowledge the week at a town council meeting. (Then call the press to attend!)

• Star power is closer than you think. Celebrities build excitement. And they need not be “A listers” to draw crowds. Has anyone from your community won a national award, published books, or is highly admired for another reason? Chances are he or she will be happy to participate for a good cause back home. Just ask!

• Reach out to other organizations. Contact not only other boating safety groups, but angling clubs, outdoors groups, and safety organizations. Such groups will likely be happy to put your messages into their newsletters or co-sponsor boating safety giveaways.

The bottom line is that getting out the safe-boating message together makes it much more likely we will be heard, from local connections to the more remote.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss how you can use partnering to make your local campaign more effective, visit the North American Safe Boating Campaign Web site at www.SafeBoatingCampaign.net, call the North American Safe Boating Council at (703) 361-4294, or e-mail campaign@safeboatingcouncil.org.