Sail Sand Point: Spreading the Joy of Water Safety and Boating to Everyone

Sail Sand Point, a Seattle-based non-profit, strives to make sailing and paddling available to everyone regardless of age, income, or ability. They offer a variety of camps for youth, classes for adults, and a boat rental service.

This summer, they're providing full-scholarship classes to youth groups from low-income families. The aim is to equip these young people with water safety and boating skills, ensuring everyone can safely enjoy the wonders of water-based activities. Most recently, they held a class with Kids and Paper, a nonprofit that helps resettled kids acclimate to their lives. We had the opportunity to provide a pizza lunch.

Photos provided by Kids and Paper.

Although drownings are largely avoidable, they claim over 4,000 lives in the U.S. each year. A significant portion of these deaths are children, with evident disparities rooted in race and socio-economics. Major organizations like the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics have urged the U.S. government to address this matter with urgency. As national strategies develop, local bodies like Sail Sand Point step in to offer immediate solutions.

Their initiative holds a special place in our hearts at Pagliacci. We fondly remember our beloved employee Tyrone Fabroa, who we tragically lost in a paddleboarding accident on Lake Washington in 2011. Every year, we present the Tyrone Award to an employee who reflects the exceptional qualities and dedication that Tyrone demonstrated at Pagliacci. In his memory, we've donated life jackets to various groups, and this year we are sponsoring boating classes with pizza lunch for youths from low-income families, in partnership with Sail Sand Point.

Our goal is to ensure these young people have the same opportunities to learn about swimming and boating as their peers from more privileged backgrounds. We’re proud to support Sail Sand Point and honored to contribute to their efforts to broaden access to boating, water safety education, and the joy of water-based recreation.