Office of the Mayor

Proclamation

Lawrence, Kansas

WHEREAS: Recreational boating is fun and enjoyable, and we are fortunate that we have sufficient resources to accommodate the wide variety of pleasure boating demands; and

WHEREAS: Between 700 and 800 people in the United States die each year in boating related accidents, with seventy percent of these accidents resulting in fatalities caused by drowning; and

WHEREAS: The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error or poor judgment and not by the boat, equipment, or environmental factors; and

WHEREAS: A significant number of boaters who lose their lives by drowning each year would be alive today had they worn a life jacket;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Michael Dever, Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, in support of the goals of the North American Safe Boating Campaign and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, do hereby proclaim the week of May 17 – 23, 2008 as

“NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK”

and the start of a year-round effort by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadron, and the North American Safe Boating Council to promote safe boating. I also urge all those who boat to “Boat Smart From the Start” by wearing a life jacket, taking a boating safety course, and practice safe boating habits.

Michael Dever, Mayor

May 13, 2008