The Sailing Angels Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization, based in the Greater Houston area. Sailing angels provides boating trips free of charge and relies on volunteers who donate their time and their boats and is financed by charitable donations.  As an opportunity for education and recreational therapy, they introduce the joy of sailing to special children with cognitive, physical or emotional needs or chronic illnesses. Also invited are wounded warriors and military veterans. The family unit is also encouraged to come. The special participants are encouraged to work on the boat to the best of their abilities.

The benefits of sailing as a recreational therapy go beyond balance, coordination, and relaxation. There is a lot of teamwork, communication, and social interaction involved in sailing.  Captain Dave McCabe, the founder of Sailing Angels, reports that once the children get to work on the boat, steer the boat, raise the sails, tie the knots, to get really involved, they walk away with a tremendous feeling of self-esteem. One family reports: I have never, ever seen my boys so relaxed and focused. Especially my younger son, Noah. He was so focused and thrilled about sailing that boat! And, to see my older son, Cameron to not be consumed with anxiety was also extraordinary! I cried tears of joy with my husband when I told him about our day. Thank you again, for providing such a wonderful day of sailing!!   The military personnel and veterans in Project Victory’s brain injury rehabilitation program are benefiting from sailing excursions.  Christine Wiegman said, “The experience of sailing helps our clients practice relaxation strategies that decrease their stress response and anxiety. The rhythmical movement of the boat and reduced noise create a calm environment that is difficult to replicate to an activity filled rehabilitation center. The sensory stimuli created by a boat as it moves through the waves and changes course with the wind also helps mediate balance deficits often experienced by individuals who have sustained a brain injury. When our clients ambulate around the boat, hoist a sail, or take the helm, they’re integrating their visual field with their physical environment to remain balanced.”

All this charitable ‘work’ is accomplished by their tremendous team of volunteers and yacht owners: our “Sailing Angels” who donate their Time, Talent and Treasure to create this special experience. This non-profit foundation performs their charitable mission while (impressively) holding their administrative overhead to less than 4%.   Since beginning the charitable nautical service in late 2007, as of sometime in June, they will have hosted 10,000 participants. All of this could not have been accomplished without the stellar support from so many volunteers, yacht owners, and the financial support from individual donors & institutions as well as the special needs community which they lovingly serve.