Press Releases
ALEXANDRIA, VA (March 11, 2010) – This summer, industry organizations are coming together to grow the boating and fishing lifestyle and get more people out on the water. To kick off boating and fishing season, the Association of Marina Industries (AMI), the Marine Retailers Association of America (MRAA), the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and several others will host “Boat. Fish. Live. At National Marina Day” on Saturday, June 12, 2010. To celebrate National Marina Day, along with National Fishing & Boating Week, National Get Outdoors Day and other very popular June events during Great Outdoors Month, 10 marinas across the country will host events where consumers can participate in boating and fishing demonstrations, test drive boats, educational activities and more.
“With all of these activities having the same general goal of safely putting people on the water boating and fishing, it makes sense that the various organizations should work together,” said AMI Legislative Coordinator Wendy Larimer. “When AMI moved the date of its annual National Marina Day from August to June, it coincided with the last day of National Fishing & Boating Week. It’s also an opportune time to motivate consumers who may be interested in boating, but haven’t yet made the investment to experience the boating lifestyle.”
"Enthusiasm for encouraging participation in outdoor fun is exploding -- uniting government agencies, concerned parents, recreation businesses, the healthcare community and more. Evidence of this new and potent force is the growing array of events and activities in June,” said American Recreation Coalition (ARC) President Derrick Crandall. “We are very excited that 2010 will add National Marina Day, and we say with delight -- Welcome Aboard!"
The idea for Boat. Fish. Live. At National Marina Day evolved from a discussion among RBFF’s Boating Task Force. Representatives from AMI, BoatU.S., the Bonnier Marine Group, MRAA and NMMA agreed that an all-industry event could gain more publicity and support than any of the individual associations could accomplish alone. The idea caught on and in a short period of time, additional organizations including ARC, Boating Writers International (BWI), ESPN, Marine Marketers of America (MMA), National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), National Safe Boating Council, United States Power Squadron, Water Sports Industry Association and several dealers and manufacturers have also pledged their support.
“All of the participating groups will promote this day through their own channels and to their own audiences,” said RBFF President & CEO Frank Peterson. “Participants will tout the value of spending time on the water, from the beauty and tranquility of cruising, to the thrill of fishing and fitness benefits of wakeboarding.”
The 10 marinas that have been selected to host events include:
- Anchorage Marina - Baltimore, Md.
- Aqualand Marina - Lake Lanier, Ga.
- Bill Bird Marina at Haulover Park - Miami, Fla.
- Brisbane Marina - Brisbane, Calif.
- Callville Bay Resort & Marina - Lake Mead, Nev.
- Colony Marine at Algonac Harbor Club – Algonac, Mich.
- Harbourgate Marina - N. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Marina Bay at Boston Harbor - North Quincy, Mass.
- New Rochelle Municipal Marina - New Rochelle, N.Y.
- Scotts Landing – Grapevine, Texas
A sampling of activities at these events will include: boating and fishing demos, Take Me Fishing™, Wear It and Discover Boating campaign materials and activities, a visit from BoatU.S. tow boats, boat test drives, safe boating demos and safety vessels on site. Some sites will also include fireworks, regattas, speedboat races, live music, raffles, contests, kids areas and more.
“MRAA sees this event as a way to expose thousands of new potential participants to boating,” said MRAA President Phil Keeter. “Dealers are looking forward to being involved at the various marinas in test drives, boat handling demos, launching demos and with product displays. This event will hopefully make the boating lifestyle a reality for many families.”
“It isn’t just about the events,” added NMMA Marketing and Communications VP Carl Blackwell. “Every organization has the end goal of getting more people on the water. More boaters and anglers means more sales, service and more people taking an interest in and finding a love of the waterways; people who will become more likely to want to conserve and protect those waters they enjoy.”
A Web site for Boat. Fish. Live. At National Marina Day is being developed and will be launched in April. For the latest information on this promotion, visit RBFF.org, NMMA.org or NationalMarinaDay.org. Please e-mail questions to info@boatfishlive.com.
About AMI
National Marina Day is managed by the Association of Marina Industries—a non-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to serving the needs of the marina industry in the U.S. www.marinaassociation.org.
About MRAA
MRAA is the national trade association for the retail segment of the recreational boating industry. For further information, go to www.mraa.com or call (941) 964-2535.
About NMMA
NMMA is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry in North America. NMMA member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers throughout the U.S. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy advocacy, market statistics and research, product quality assurance and promotion of the boating lifestyle. For more information, visit www.nmma.org.
About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing™ campaign and Anglers’ Legacy™.
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