The official 2023 Galveston Island Beach Patrol (GIBP) calendar is available for purchase! Proceeds from your purchase will go directly to the GIBP to help with educational endeavors, outreach works, and more.
Not only does the 2023 Galveston Island Beach Patrol calendar feature colorful images of their team in various locations around the island, it also provides key dates for Galveston events and holidays, fun facts and historical information about the organization.
Early in the mornings and late in the day, Galveston Island Beach Patrol members can be seen patrolling the coast in their iconic yellow trucks or, during the summer months, perched in lifeguard towers.
Each year, for nearly 150 years, Galveston’s beach patrol helps safeguard more than 7 million beachgoers across Galveston’s 32 miles of beaches. While saving and protecting swimmers is chief among their mission, this team also does a lot of work behind the scenes.
To help support these efforts, the Park Board of Trustees and Visit Galveston have created a 2023 Galveston Island Beach Patrol calendar available for sale. The calendar features colorful photos of the team at work and at play, plus holidays, Galveston events, and historical information about the organization.
Water safety is a key priority for the Galveston Island Beach Patrol. The team helps nurture new team members through its Junior Guard program. During the summer weeks, young people from 10 to 15 years old practice and hone their swimming skills in the pool and open water, learn CPR and other safety measures, get to know lifeguards and take field trips on and off the island. Many end up becoming members of the Beach Patrol because of their experience.
As Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis says, it’s essential to instill a sense of herd immunity when it comes to beach safety. The team works to accomplish this when they deliver water safety talks to school students in Galveston and the Houston area. Last year, they reached more than 30,000 individuals.
The water safety talks help us build what is known as ‘herd immunity.’ It’s similar to vaccinations. We look at the kids that were given water safety talks as if they were given a vaccine against drowning.
Chief Peter Davis, Galveston Island Beach Patrol
Unfortunately, drownings are a reality in any body of water. Under Davis’s leadership, families who experience the loss of a loved one have resources to help them through the trauma. He and the beach patrol work with organizations, including Jesse Tree’s Survivor Support Network. Together, their mission is to deliver support through emotional, spiritual and physical resources.
Proceeds from your purchase of the 2023 Galveston Island Beach Patrol Calendar will help the organization with these educational endeavors and various outreach works.
Author
Visit Galveston
Visit Galveston is the official destination marketing organization for Galveston Island, Texas.
