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Gage and The LV Project have reached over 650,000 people with a life jacket safety message. Additionally, in 2017, Gage took the message to the classroom. Through collaboration with the Outdoors for Tomorrow Foundation and other outdoor adventure educators in 22 states, a life jacket safety curriculum was introduced that will reach over 30,000 students across the nation.

With Gage’s leadership, Waves of Hope and Families United to Prevent Drowning, have each been able to unveil a collection of story cards that bring a face to the issue of water safety. In 2017, Gage lobbied for mandatory life jacket wear for all persons under the age of 18 in her home state of Texas.

Recently, Gage was able to make a huge stride in water safety by bringing together the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Safe Boating Council, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, to create a ground-breaking campaign that is sure to convince teenagers to wear their life jackets. This project will be made possible through the pro bono services from DDB Worldwide, one of the world’s most renowned advertising agencies. This is something Gage put a lot of time, effort and research into creating.

Overall, Gage’s creative mind coupled with her unwavering passion for the cause and her heart for educating, informing and saving the lives of all people who spend their time around water is second to none. Words cannot describe what Dana Gage has done for the Texas community and water safety as a whole. Congratulations Dana Gage!

Generously sponsored by Fresh Air Educators, and Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc., the Boating Educator of the Year Award was launched by NASBLA in 2011 to recognize those who go above to engage students and boaters, raise awareness, and make boating education initiatives relevant, thorough and exciting.

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories. We offer a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards, publications and more. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, we affect the lives of over 76 million American boaters.