For the fifth consecutive year, in recognition of National Water Safety Month, Academy Sports Outdoors donated 400 life jackets, worth $5,000, to Safe Kids Columbus at Piedmont Columbus Regional. The 400 new life jackets will be a tool to promote community safety while out on the water this summer. Click here to access a Dropbox link with photos and b-roll from today’s donation.

Since 2019, Academy Sports + Outdoors has donated over $25,000 worth of items to Safe Kids Columbus to help promote water safety in the community.

Safe Kids Columbus invites everyone to attend its annual River Savvy Kids event this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Blanton Creek Campground in Hamilton. Safe Kids wants kids to learn important river safety information and leave with a new, individually-fitted life jacket. Once children ages 17 and under, who are accompanied by an adult, visit all the safety stations, they will receive a free life jacket (while sizes and supplies last). The event is pirate themed, and children are asked to come dressed up in order to visit the treasure chest to reap their rewards. For more information about the event, call Safe Kids Columbus at 706.321.6720.

Safe Kids Columbus aims to ensure all children in Columbus and the surrounding area have the chance to grow up healthy and out of harm’s way. They were founded with the mission to keep all kids safe from preventable injuries. Academy is proud to support this goal by empowering children to get active and providing the right gear and knowledge to do so safely.