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Photo by Noreen Folkerts   Presenting the check to Monika Renke, Flotilla Commander of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Juneau Flotilla is Captain Andrea Poggi of the Island Princess. Behind placard: Maria Bailey and Karen Lawfer with the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services representing Alaska Safe Kids, and Juneau Harbor Master Lou McCall. Back row: Commodore Mike Folkerts of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in District 17 Alaska, Lt. Cmdr. Sue Albright, Director of Auxiliary, Seventeenth Coast Guard District, S. Kirby Day III, Director of Shore Operations, Alaska Region Princess Cruises and Tours, and Angelo Balbi, Staff First Purser, Administration.

JUNEAU - The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is one of the sponsors of the "Kids Don't Float" peer education program, through which teams work to increase public awareness of child drowning issues and reduce the fatality rate.

In addition to youth education, the program includes a life jacket loaner program. Loaner boards, where boaters can borrow the appropriate size life jacket for children (and adults) free of charge, can be found at harbors and public boat access areas throughout the state of Alaska.

Seeing the need for protecting these jackets, keeping them dry and serviceable, the Juneau Flotilla of the Coast Guard Auxiliary offered to sponsor boxes for harbors in the Juneau area.

The $2,000 will go to construct up to 12 aluminum shoreside boxes to hold loaner life jackets for the Kids Don't Float Program.

The life jackets are provided by the State of Alaska Office of Boating Safety. The Juneau Flotilla will take care of making sure the boxes are stocked, and the life jackets are maintained in good condition.

"The funds came from donations made on board the Princess Cruises vessels by passengers and crew members to a Shoreside Charity account that is active worldwide," said S. Kirby Day, III, Director of Shore Operations for the Alaska Region Princess Cruises and Tours.

"Once we received the request for this great project [Kids Don't Float], the Princess Executive Committee allocated the $2,000 at their recent quarterly meeting from that fund. Princess Cruises is pleased to be able to support projects such as this."

For more information about the Kids Don't Float program in Alaska please visit http://akquest.alaska.gov/dph/chems/injury_prevention/kids_dont_float.htm.