The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, which has been educating people about water safety around the Great Lakes region since 2011, is making a call for public support so it can continue operating.
Group co-founder Dave Benjamin tells us they’ve launched an online fundraiser, “Critical Condition — The Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project Needs Life Support,” to say afloat while looking for sources of long-term funding. He says he and group co-founder Bob Pratt have always done the work of the project as volunteers.
“The hardest thing about Bob and I is we don’t like asking for help, especially money, and we’ve had people come forward and give donations, we’ve had a couple people get some foundations, give some donations here and there. But we really never had any sustainable funding,” Benjamin said.
Benjamin says after more than 15 years of spreading awareness of safety risks, advocating for lifeguard programs, and providing group education, he’s found himself unable to continue without support.
“I survived a drowning incident in 2010, and I’ve been drowning financially ever since to advocate water safety. It’s just taken a huge toll on me, it’s taken a huge toll on my family.”
Benjamin says the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project did a total of five presentations on lake safety in its first year, the number grew in subsequent years, and here in 2026, it’s done about 1,300 presentations in seven of the eight Great Lakes States. That’s not something he can continue doing without a change.
The goal of the online fundraiser is $10,000, and Benjamin says the project is in talks with individuals who have worked in the nonprofit world about setting up a more robust and regular method of fundraising. As of Tuesday afternoon, supporters had donated just under $1,700 to the campaign.
You can learn more about the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project right here.
