The Passenger Vessel Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting education and safety in the passenger vessel industry, announced today that it received a $25,000 challenge grant from Hornblower Cruises & Events, San Francisco.

“We are very pleased to receive this generous Challenge Grant from Hornblower Cruises & Events,” said Rob McMahon, president of the Passenger Vessel Foundation (PVF). “Hornblower has been a major longtime supporter of the foundation.”

PVF grants are available to individuals and nonprofit organizations interested in educational assistance, research, training, and the improvement of safety within the maritime industry, as these apply to the U.S. domestic passenger vessel industry.

“We are proud of our support for the PVF and its great work to date. It’s clear there are more qualified applicants for educational assistance than the limited resources the PVF can support. For this industry to grow safely, it needs more qualified and trained mariners, and we hope this Challenge Grant will help.” said Terry MacRae, Chairman and CEO of Hornblower Cruises & Events.

“This challenge grant applies to donations other than normal fundraising avenues. In effect, it allows donors to double their gift” added McMahon.

To donate to the Passenger Vessel Foundation, go to www.pvfoundation.com/donate. Donations are tax-deductible.

Founded in 1994, the PVF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in the District of Columbia. The foundation was established to ensure that the passenger vessel industry continues its dedication toward furthering education and the development of safety resources. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarship grants and supports the Roger Murphy National Marine Safety Award and the Captain Elizabeth Gedney Passenger Vessel Safety Award. For more information, go to www.pvfoundation.com.

Hornblower Cruises & Events has been a leading charter yacht and public dining cruise operator headquartered in California for 35 years. The company operates over 70 vessels, including the three largest dining yachts on the West Coast. The company has ports in San Francisco, Berkeley, Sacramento, Long Beach, Newport Beach, Marina del Ray, San Diego, and New York City.

David Krapf has been editor of WorkBoat, the nation’s leading trade magazine for the inland and coastal waterways industry, since 1999. He is responsible for overseeing the editorial direction of the publication. Krapf has been in the publishing industry since 1987, beginning as a reporter and editor with daily and weekly newspapers in the Houston area. He also was the editor of a transportation industry daily in New Orleans before joining WorkBoat as a contributing editor in 1992. He has been covering the transportation industry since 1989, and has a degree in business administration from the State University of New York at Oswego, and also studied journalism at the University of Houston.