Friday, November 5, 2021
Spokane Waves Aquatic Team Gets Swim-a-Thon Grand Prize Visit from Kelsi Dahlia
The Spokane Waves Aquatic Team (SWAT) of Spokane, Washington recently enjoyed a visit from Olympic gold medalist and Swim-a-Thon Ambassador Kelsi Dahlia. The 2019 Swim-a-Thon contest grand prize winners raised $32,919.90 during their annual event, almost $6,000.00 over their goal for the year and making them eligible for the grand prize drawing.
In the first team social event since early 2020, SWAT received a personal club visit from Dahlia which included two individualized clinics and a team pizza party.
“Having her (Dahlia) come and be the person who brought all the athletes together is amazing,” SWAT board secretary Wendy Barton said. “It was the first all-team event for all the kids to come together and hang out, and it was something we have been looking forward to for a long time.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SWAT decided to wait for an in-person visit rather than complete a virtual appearance. Dahlia’s in-person visit allowed for the full experience of meeting athletes, answering questions and signing autographs.
“The group togetherness is what they (the athletes) have been missing this entire time (during the pandemic), and to have Kelsi there too, she was so great,” Barton said. “She answered everyone’s questions from ‘Did you ever dive off the blocks before?’ to how she changes her diet. Kelsi made time for every question, took pictures and hung out with everyone.”
Swim-a-Thon is a fundraiser where participants earn money by swimming lengths of the pool.
SWAT has already completed their 2021 Swim-a-Thon and were able to exceed their fundraising goal. The money raised goes into their general budget which helps deflect costs of all athletes. Some items the general budget pays for includes pool fees, coach salaries and equipment. Additionally, since the USA Swimming Foundation has waived the 5% donation fee throughout 2021, all USA Swimming member clubs who participate keep all funds raised.
To help provide additional motivation for athletes to fundraise, SWAT works within the community to gain sponsorships and prizes in addition to what the USA Swimming Foundation already provides. These can include anything from gift cards, theme park tickets, team sports gear, toys and local clothing discounts.
Upon completion of the Swim-a-Thon, SWAT swimmers are eligible to pick the prize they want based off the dollar amount they raised. Rather than having a set prize for each place, this format allows athletes to pick the prize they really want. Swimmers who raise the highest amounts can pick a prize first.
With only a couple of months left to take advantage of the 5% donation waiver, now is the perfect time to get involved in a Swim-a-Thon.
To learn more on how your club can conduct a Swim-a-Thon, please visit: https://www.usaswimming.org/foundation#swim-a-thon
In the first team social event since early 2020, SWAT received a personal club visit from Dahlia which included two individualized clinics and a team pizza party.
“Having her (Dahlia) come and be the person who brought all the athletes together is amazing,” SWAT board secretary Wendy Barton said. “It was the first all-team event for all the kids to come together and hang out, and it was something we have been looking forward to for a long time.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SWAT decided to wait for an in-person visit rather than complete a virtual appearance. Dahlia’s in-person visit allowed for the full experience of meeting athletes, answering questions and signing autographs.
“The group togetherness is what they (the athletes) have been missing this entire time (during the pandemic), and to have Kelsi there too, she was so great,” Barton said. “She answered everyone’s questions from ‘Did you ever dive off the blocks before?’ to how she changes her diet. Kelsi made time for every question, took pictures and hung out with everyone.”
Swim-a-Thon is a fundraiser where participants earn money by swimming lengths of the pool.
SWAT has already completed their 2021 Swim-a-Thon and were able to exceed their fundraising goal. The money raised goes into their general budget which helps deflect costs of all athletes. Some items the general budget pays for includes pool fees, coach salaries and equipment. Additionally, since the USA Swimming Foundation has waived the 5% donation fee throughout 2021, all USA Swimming member clubs who participate keep all funds raised.
To help provide additional motivation for athletes to fundraise, SWAT works within the community to gain sponsorships and prizes in addition to what the USA Swimming Foundation already provides. These can include anything from gift cards, theme park tickets, team sports gear, toys and local clothing discounts.
Upon completion of the Swim-a-Thon, SWAT swimmers are eligible to pick the prize they want based off the dollar amount they raised. Rather than having a set prize for each place, this format allows athletes to pick the prize they really want. Swimmers who raise the highest amounts can pick a prize first.
With only a couple of months left to take advantage of the 5% donation waiver, now is the perfect time to get involved in a Swim-a-Thon.
To learn more on how your club can conduct a Swim-a-Thon, please visit: https://www.usaswimming.org/foundation#swim-a-thon