Ironman legend Trevor Hendy AM calls on beachgoers to support patrolled beaches in DHL Summer campaign

• DHL Summer campaign encourages beachgoers to swim between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches
• Surf Life Saving clubs will enter into the draw to win vital lifesaving equipment

Each year, Australia's 311 local Surf Life Saving clubs work to keep beaches safe and deliver a key safety message to the community - to swim at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags. This summer season, the DHL Summer campaign aims to further amplify this beach safety message while acknowledging the great work of Surf Lifesavers.

Melissa King, Chief Executive, Surf Life Saving Australia said "Over 46,000 patrolling surf lifesavers around Australia dedicate over 1.3 million hours to provide essential services at the beach each year". "We are blessed with over 36,000 kilometres of beautiful beaches with 311 Surf Life Saving clubs whose members help to keep the beach and community safe"

"The DHL Summer campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of swimming at a patrolled beach and between the red and yellow flags. We are delighted to have IronMan Legend and SLSA Ambassador Trevor Hendy AM, helping us urge all beachgoers to get behind their local club and say thanks for all their hard work by voting for them in the DHL Summer campaign," she added.

In the 2015/16 season our surf lifesavers performed over 13,000 rescues, that's 36 people a day that have gone home safely to their friends and family.

Each vote made at www.dhlsummer.com for a patrolled beach will enter the local surf life saving club into the draw to win an Evinrude Outboard Motor, a valuable piece of lifesaving equipment. Individuals who vote will also be entered into the draw to win a Sea-Doo Spark, or 1 of 100 DHL towels.

Gary Edstein, CEO/Senior Vice President at DHL Express Oceania said: "DHL is incredibly proud of the work Australia's surf lifesavers and surf life saving clubs undertake each summer to save lives. Surf Life Saving's beach safety message - to swim at patrolled beaches between the red and yellow flags - has ensured thousands of beachgoers are supervised each year. At DHL, we want to further extend this message through the DHL Summer campaign and remind beachgoers to think about safety next time they head to the beach."

The DHL Summer campaign will run from 17 January to 12 February, 2017. To vote for your favourite patrolled beach, head to www.dhlsummer.com

DHL has been partnering with Surf Life Saving Australia to deliver safer beaches since 2003.