By Anna Skinner
Southeastern Swim Club in Fishers will hold a fundraiser the week of May 11. They’ve donned it the Swim-A-Thon. Club members are currently soliciting pledges for donations up until the week of the event. Although the actual Swim-A-Thon is for club members only, community members can support the fundraiser by donating.
“The event is a fundraiser for the club, we felt it was important for us and we are excited to be in a new facility,” Tony Ratliff, president of the board of directors for the swim club, said. “A component of the fundraiser goes back to the local Fishers community.”
Five percent of the donations and pledges will go to USA Swimming, the national government body that funds initiatives like Make-A-Splash campaign for decreasing drowning incidents and funding for teaching swim lessons. The rest of the funds raised will be split between the new facility, the club and the Fishers food pantry.
“I feel like it’s a great opportunity for people in the community to give back and donate money to something that will help multiple different fronts,” Head Coach Andy Pedersen said.
Southeastern Swim Club started in 1989. “Our original intent was to help high school swim teams, to augment the off season training of high school swimmers, to offer those who weren’t in other sports an opportunity to train other than the high school season,” Pedersen said. “Since then we have grown into more of a holistic swimming resource for the community including adult swim teams, younger teams, swim lessons and more to develop essential life skills, reach athletic potential and have fun.”
The club’s new facility just opened in April, and Pedersen and Ratcliff said they are excited to use it.
“It’s a fundraiser that really hits on local and national levels,” Ratliff said.
For people interested in participating in the club or donating to the fundraiser, visit www.southeasternswimclub.org.
