SIMA (Surf Industry Manufacturers Association) announced the launch of The Float Collective campaign today, which will feature a unique collection of products from member brands with proceeds benefiting 14 different humanitarian organizations that use surfing to help those in need. The collection of products and a special Float Collective bracelet will be on sale through various surf retailers beginning in June 2017.
Seven SIMA member brands are producing a variety of limited-edition products, including hats, watches, bags, boardshorts, tees and more, to benefit the SIMA Humanitarian Fund, the charitable arm of SIMA that supports surf-related humanitarian causes through an annual grant program. Each Float Collective product produced by participating brands will feature the initiative’s symbolic blue color-way and distinctive hang tags. Participating brands include Electric, Nixon, Quiksilver, Raw Elements, Rip Curl, Roark and RVCA. In addition, select surf retailers will showcase and sell a Float Collective bracelet to generate significant funds for the partner humanitarian organizations. The blue bracelets are made from leash string material and feature the Float Collective’s life preserver logo as a metal charm.
“The goal of this initiative is to build a multi-brand collective of industry leaders who want to create products under a unified banner for a united cause,” said Dylan Slater, president of the SIMA Humanitarian Fund Board of Directors. “More simply put, it’s about the industry coming together to help those in need by doing what we do best: making insane products. We couldn’t be happier about the caliber of brands participating, the effort put forth in the products they have produced, and the response from surf retailers who can’t wait to bring the Float Collective story to life in their stores.”
The first season of Float Collective products are due to launch at retail in June 2017. As the products are sold throughout the summer, a 5% royalty from each product sale, as well as the proceeds from Float Collective bracelet sales, will be donated by participating brands to the SIMA Humanitarian Fund. In December 2017, the SIMA Humanitarian Fund will use all of the funds collected to write grants to the humanitarian organizations selected by the Board of Directors earlier this year. Grant recipients were selected based on a variety of criteria, but each organization uses surfing in some way to improve the quality of life, health or welfare of people around the world.
The following non-profit organizations were selected to receive a 2017 SIMA Humanitarian Fund grant:
- AccesSurf
- Amazing Surf Adventures
- Best Day Foundation
- Boys to Men
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
- Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation
- John Wayne Cancer Foundation
- Life Rolls On
- Mauli Ola Foundation
- Outdoor Outreach
- STOKED Mentoring
- SurfAid
- Surfers Healing
- Valpo Surf Project
“The SIMA Humanitarian Fund Board couldn’t be more excited or proud to be able to support these organizations through the Float Collective,” adds Slater. “The work these groups are doing is simply amazing, and it’s impossible to overstate just how deeply many of these groups touch the lives of people throughout the world who are in dire need of our help. In addition, we’re supporting several organizations that do great work in pro-actively serving kids and adults alike to prevent things like disease and living conditions that are life-threatening.”
The Float Collective is also supported by: Fernando and Santiago Aguerre and Families for underwriting of the bracelet POP displays, art direction by Cinco, and 3PL service by Steele Logistics.
For information on where to purchase Float Collective products or the Float Collective bracelet, please visit www.sima.com/float-collective/.
About SIMA
The Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) is the official working trade association of more than 300 surf industry suppliers. Founded in 1989, SIMA is a non-profit organization that serves to promote awareness of the surf industry and participation in the sport of surfing through public relations efforts and a variety of services, educational programs and research. In addition, SIMA actively supports oceanic environmental efforts through its 501(c)(3) charitable environmental foundation, the SIMA Environmental Fund. In the past 26 years, SIMA’s Environmental Fund has raised more than $7 million for environmental groups seeking to protect the world’s oceans, beaches and waves. The SIMA Humanitarian Fund, also a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, was established in to award grants to various surf or boardsport related social and humanitarian non-profit organizations whose efforts are focused on improving the quality of life, health and/or welfare of people. Since 2004 the SIMA Humanitarian Fund has raised and donated more than $1.7 million to surf-related non-profit organizations. For more information regarding SIMA, please visit www.sima.com.
