SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Department of Boating and Waterways (DBW), Radio Disney, and UC Davis Children’s Hospital announce the 13th Annual Life Jacket Trade-In. The event will take place May 25 from 4-6 p.m. at select Kohl’s Department Store locations in the Sacramento region, from noon-2 p.m. at Plaza El Segundo in El Segundo, and Old Town Plaza in Suisun City and from 2-4 p.m. at Alameda South Shore Center in Alameda. 

“It is important for water enthusiasts to not only wear life jackets, but to wear them correctly,” said DBW’s acting Director Lucia Becerra.  “Life jackets that are too small will not be able to keep your body afloat.  Life jackets that are too big will cause the device to push up around the face, which could be dangerous.”

The life jacket trade-in gives parents the opportunity for life jackets to be inspected by professionals.  If a life jacket is found to be outgrown or unserviceable, a new, properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket is given in exchange (while supplies last).

Participating locations include:

Sacramento County Kohl’s Department Stores 4-6 p.m.
Antelope 5030 Antelope Rd.		Natomas 4700 Natoma Blvd.
Elk Grove 8810 Calvine Rd., 9650 Bruceville Rd.		PointWest - Arden 1896 Arden Way
Folsom 1013 Riley St.		Rancho Cordova 11051 Olson Drive
Greenback 6135 San Juan Ave.		Roseville 10375 Fairway Drive
Los Angeles County El Segundo Plaza El Segundo 2-4 p.m. 760 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
San Francisco Bay Area Alameda Alameda South Shore Center noon-2 p.m. 523 S. Shore Center West		Suisun Old Town Plaza noon-2 p.m. Main and Solano Streets

Community partners include CBS Radio, Drowning Accident Rescue Team, Radio Disney, Sacramento Safe Kids Coalition, Solano County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, UC Davis Regents, and the U.S. Power Squadrons.

This event is being conducted in connection with National Safe Boating Week (May 19-25), which aims to spread the message about life jacket wear and other safe boating practices.

California boating law requires all children under the age of 13, every person on board a personal watercraft (Jet Ski) or being towed behind a vessel to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.  The law also requires life jackets to be carried on a vessel for every person on board.

For more information about the life jacket trade-in or life jackets, please visit www.BoatResponsibly.com.

Note to media: DBW supplies life jackets for children and adults to public and private life jacket loan stations across the state.  The program gives an individual or family the opportunity to check out a life jacket for a day or a weekend by simply completing a loan form. For more information, visit the website listed above.

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DBW enhances public access to California’s waterways and promotes boating and aquatic safety through programs funded by vessel registration fees, boating fuel tax dollars and boating facility construction loan payments.