Monday, July 24, 2023
2023 Swim-a-Thon Season Starting Strong
The USA Swimming Foundation’s Swim-a-Thon is an engaging and organized opportunity for teams to fundraise. Athletes raise money by asking family, friends, neighbors or businesses to pledge money per length of the pool they commit to swim, or by asking for a flat donation in support of the team. Swim-a-Thon participants earn unique prizes from the USA Swimming Foundation and teams are eligible for a grand prize drawing.
More than 250 teams across the country hosted Swim-a-Thon contests in 2022, collectively raising more than $230,000 for the USA Swimming Foundation and over $4.6 million for their individual programs. The 2023 Swim-a-Thon season is off to a great start, with two clubs leading the way.
Lakeside Aquatic Club
A member of North Texas Swimming, Lakeside Aquatic Club (LAC) raised the fifth-highest total – $131,357.42 – for a single event in the history of the Swim-a-Thon program. With more than 550 participants, LAC also nearly doubled their total funds raised from 2022.
“This wouldn’t have worked without Chrissy Gentry, our Assistant Head Coach and Head Age Group Coach,” Klotz said. “She took my ideas and put them to work. Without that part, this wouldn’t have gone the way it did. We asked many people to provide services and time, which proved to be invaluable to our cause. That was our first key to success, the number of people working in the foreground, as well as the background, to help us make this a great Swim-a-Thon.”
The theme of LAC’s Swim-a-Thon was ‘Legacy Through the Decades’. Each week, a different decade was celebrated by music selection at practices and in the facility, and in coaches’ costumes on deck during workouts.
“We focused very heavily on getting the swimmers to create a profile (for posting on social media) that told a story about why they do what they do,” Klotz said. “We at LAC feel that this is so much more than swimming, so we asked our athletes to tell everyone the why of what they do. That was huge in getting people to donate to a cause.”
Additionally, LAC incorporates its annual party and awards banquet into Swim-a-Thon activity. Klotz and team remarked that, ‘the 2023 edition was the foundation for many more to come’.
“I think that coordinating the coaching staff, selling the idea of swimming and its benefits over the long term and having some fun with it all contributed to the numbers,” Klotz added. “There’s room for improvement. This was a pretty good start.”
Kachemak Swim Club
A member of Alaska Swimming, Kachemak Swim Club raised more than $20,000 with just 37 participants in its 2023 Swim-a-Thon on April 20.
“Our swimmers rose to the occasion and surpassed our goal,” team administrator Kristin Fry said. “This year’s Swim-a-Thon money will go towards pool time for training, equipment, insurance and keeping our monthly dues lower. It was amazing teamwork.”
The club’s first registered Swim-a-Thon event since 2014, Fry explained why the move back to a formal fundraising effort was key for the future of the swim club.
“This year our pool was in jeopardy of shutting down due to budget cuts, and it is the only pool in our community,” Fry said. “Our new board of directors decided to revive our Swim-a-Thon efforts for a more organized way of running a fundraiser. Also, we hoped to motivate the swimmers with the ability to earn great prizes from USA Swimming along with donations from local companies.”
If your club or team is interested in hosting your own Swim-a-Thon, check out the Swim-a-Thon website or reach out to swimathon@usaswimming.org.
More than 250 teams across the country hosted Swim-a-Thon contests in 2022, collectively raising more than $230,000 for the USA Swimming Foundation and over $4.6 million for their individual programs. The 2023 Swim-a-Thon season is off to a great start, with two clubs leading the way.
Lakeside Aquatic Club
A member of North Texas Swimming, Lakeside Aquatic Club (LAC) raised the fifth-highest total – $131,357.42 – for a single event in the history of the Swim-a-Thon program. With more than 550 participants, LAC also nearly doubled their total funds raised from 2022.
“This wouldn’t have worked without Chrissy Gentry, our Assistant Head Coach and Head Age Group Coach,” Klotz said. “She took my ideas and put them to work. Without that part, this wouldn’t have gone the way it did. We asked many people to provide services and time, which proved to be invaluable to our cause. That was our first key to success, the number of people working in the foreground, as well as the background, to help us make this a great Swim-a-Thon.”
The theme of LAC’s Swim-a-Thon was ‘Legacy Through the Decades’. Each week, a different decade was celebrated by music selection at practices and in the facility, and in coaches’ costumes on deck during workouts.
“We focused very heavily on getting the swimmers to create a profile (for posting on social media) that told a story about why they do what they do,” Klotz said. “We at LAC feel that this is so much more than swimming, so we asked our athletes to tell everyone the why of what they do. That was huge in getting people to donate to a cause.”
Additionally, LAC incorporates its annual party and awards banquet into Swim-a-Thon activity. Klotz and team remarked that, ‘the 2023 edition was the foundation for many more to come’.
“I think that coordinating the coaching staff, selling the idea of swimming and its benefits over the long term and having some fun with it all contributed to the numbers,” Klotz added. “There’s room for improvement. This was a pretty good start.”
Kachemak Swim Club
A member of Alaska Swimming, Kachemak Swim Club raised more than $20,000 with just 37 participants in its 2023 Swim-a-Thon on April 20.
“Our swimmers rose to the occasion and surpassed our goal,” team administrator Kristin Fry said. “This year’s Swim-a-Thon money will go towards pool time for training, equipment, insurance and keeping our monthly dues lower. It was amazing teamwork.”
The club’s first registered Swim-a-Thon event since 2014, Fry explained why the move back to a formal fundraising effort was key for the future of the swim club.
“This year our pool was in jeopardy of shutting down due to budget cuts, and it is the only pool in our community,” Fry said. “Our new board of directors decided to revive our Swim-a-Thon efforts for a more organized way of running a fundraiser. Also, we hoped to motivate the swimmers with the ability to earn great prizes from USA Swimming along with donations from local companies.”
If your club or team is interested in hosting your own Swim-a-Thon, check out the Swim-a-Thon website or reach out to swimathon@usaswimming.org.