Among the beneficiaries of this year's Light Fund English Channel Relay fundraiser will be the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). 

The RNLI is known for its volunteer lifeboat crews, but it also supplies seasonal beach lifeguards and a Flood Rescue Team and offers educational outreach. RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved more than 142,700 lives since 1824. 

The donation also honors the late Kelvyn Gardner, founder, Asgard Media. Not only was Gardner a respected member of the licensing community and a long-term supporter of The Light Fund, but an active member of the RNLI committee. 

The Light Fund Swim team has asked the RNLI to include Gardner's name on the RNLI's soon-to-be-launched new Wells-next-the-Sea Shannon Class Lifeboat. Gardner's name will appear alongside several other names on the boat as part of the RNLI's Launch a Memory program. 

The Light Fund's English Channel Relay fundraiser swim to France is scheduled from June 30 to July 3. There are opportunities to sponsor the swim and help The Light Fund reach its target of more than $300,000 and a mention in the challenge event film presentation at the 2022 Licensing Awards in September.  

 "The Light Fund supports a wide range of worthy causes, but, considering the theme of this year's big fundraiser, helping one of the world's oldest and best-known lifesaving organizations seems entirely appropriate," says Mark Kingston, senior vice president, international consumer products, Paramount Global. "It's also a great opportunity to offer a tribute to a valued friend and colleague. Kelvyn was a committed supporter of The Light Fund, and this is a marvelous way to salute him." 

Find out more about corporate sponsorship options here, and donate via the event's Just Giving page.