Sailing World and Sperry Top-Sider have announced an inaugural partnership with Sailing for Miracles, an organization created to raise awareness within the sport of sailing and to encourage giving back to the local community. Participants in the Sperry Top-Sider National Offshore One Design (N.O.O.D.) Regatta in St. Petersburg, scheduled for February 16-18 at host St. Petersburg Yacht Club, will have the opportunity to support Sailing for Miracles through donations and fund-raising efforts at the event. All proceeds generated by Sailing for Miracles will benefit All Children’s Hospital, a leading center for pediatric treatment, education and research, in St. Petersburg. All NOOD sailors who make a donation of $50 or more will be given an exclusively designed Sailing for Miracles burgee, donated by Sperry Top-Sider and Sailing World. In addition daily raffles of gifts contributed by the regatta’s sponsors will be held as well. “As the leading manufacturer of sailing footwear, Sperry Top-Sider is proud to join forces with Sailing World to help raise funds for Sailing for Miracles, which will provide support to All Children’s Hospital,” said Karen Pitts, Vice President of Marketing at Sperry Top-Sider. “We can use our leadership position to help those in need and this partnership with Sailing for Miracles allows us to give back to a very special charity.” “This is the first time that Sailing World has undertaken a charitable element at any NOOD event,” said George Brengle, executive director of the NOOD Regattas and director of marketing for Sailing World. “Before now we have never included a cause related partner as part of the overall NOOD package. The St. Petersburg NOOD will be our inaugural run and we could not be more pleased with the partnership.” Sailing for Miracles was created in 2005 by a group of sailors from the Southeastern Sailing Association (SESA). Initially, events were held at the 2005 Strictly Sail, which raised over $20,000 for All Children’s Hospital. The organization’s mission is to focus on having fun on the water, raise awareness among sailors and encourage giving back to the community. “The program took a hiatus in 2006, but when Sally Helme, the publisher of Sailing World heard that Sperry Top-Sider was looking to add a charitable giving component to the NOOD Regattas, she put all of us together,” said Tom Casey of Sailing for Miracles. “This is the beginning of what we hope is a long partnership. It will be great for the sport and for our community.” The 2007 Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regattas will sail into nine cities in 2007, including Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston; New York, San Diego, St. Petersburg, Florida, Annapolis, Maryland, and Toronto. St. Petersburg will kick off the ’07 campaign Feb. 16 to 18.
