Thank you for your interest in supporting our swimmers!
SWIM-A-THON TOOL KIT FOR NON-USADSS PARTICIPANTS
Please use this tool kit to launch your local Swim-A-Thon FUNdraiser. We can’t wait to celebrate you, so please let us know your plans!
1. To get started, click on this link. https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/usadss/page/home
2. Click on the blue menu item: SWIM-A-THON PARTICIPANT SIGN-UP (NON-USADSS)
3. If you are a Team Manager and want to sign up your whole team, please contact USADSS at Info@USADSS.org. We can export minimal information in a batch so that you don’t have so much data entry.
4. If you are an individual, you can pick the team you are with, or the “Individual Participant” option.
Select on Add To Cart
Select on Checkout Now
Select on the rectangle below “Assign Member”, then click on blue “Add New Member”.
Enter the members Legal First and Last Name, Gender and Date of Birth.
Select “Add Member”
Select “Next”, then “Next” again.
Select “Pay Now” ($0.00)
Registration is processed, and USADSS will be notified to approve.
5. Once approved, USADSS will send you a Launch Email that gives you access to your personal Swim-A-Thon page. Please personalize the page and make it your own by changing the provided donor letter and goal.
Once you can view your page, click on the RED Setup tab to begin setting up your fundraising efforts. You'll also see a series of other tabs where you will manage the entire process.
You can invite your Email contacts using the online tool.
You can also connect your Facebook and Twitter to this fundraising page using the fields provided.
If you want to add photos, click “upload” beneath a sticker and you can upload photos.
For more detailed instruction: download the user guide.
6. SET THE DATE FOR YOUR SWIM-A-THON sometime between June 7th, and July 31st.
If you want to join the “Swim-With-Tim” event - plan on a 2 hour block the weekend of June 17-19. Tim Phillips, a former National Team member and USADSS Ambassador will be launching his own Swim-A-Thon on Saturday, June 18th. We will feature swimmers who are doing it along with him, and hope to do some sort of Zoom call with Tim on that day.
Another event date is Tuesday, June 21st. On this day, 3 Michigan athletes will come together with the Midland Dolphins to see how many laps we can get together. They invite you to join them on that day.
7. USA Swimming offers an incentive program for Swim-A-Thon participants. The prizes are $400-$599= Rally Towel, $600-$799=Stainless Water Bottle, $800-$1199=Silicone Swim Cap, $1200+=Full Size Red Towel.
8. PLAN YOUR SWIM-A-THON
Please plan your Swim-A-Thon for a time that works for you. Swim-A-Thon’s are typically 2 hours, and USADSS is going to count all yards toward the goal of getting to Portugal (4000 Miles!)
Feel free to be creative and get some of your teammates to swim laps alongside you. USADSS is all about creative inclusion! Brainstorm to determine if it will just be a regular practice, or if there could be some relay events or fun laps thrown in like flippers, paddles, or other creative methods.
If you have asked for friends to join you, plan to offer treats for the swimmers during the swim (gatorade, healthy snacks) and/or fun snacks after the swim such as cookies and chocolate milk.
Our swimmers may invite some mentors to come and help count laps or cheer. You could do the same thing. It might be a good idea to have some snacks out for volunteers too.
Another idea is to provide a physical way for swimmers to count laps. For example, put 2 containers at the end of every lane. One container is empty and the other has several small items in it. For every 10 laps a swimmer swims that day, they would move an item to the empty bucket. At the end you count all the items. You could even have a team goal that the coach sets with an extra incentive that the family offers (pizza party, smoothie coupons, Friday donuts,etc).
Invite the community to stop by just to show support. Having a donation box there might provide some unexpected cash donations.
9. PUBLICIZE YOUR EVENT!
The only way that people will give money to support your Swim-a-Thon is if you ask them! Write letters and emails asking people to make a donation to your cause, make phone calls to family and friends, and make personal visits to neighbors and local businesses. Send follow-up notes to remind your contacts about your upcoming event, and make it as easy as possible for donors to support you.
Send a press release to your local newspaper before the date of your Swim-a-Thon.
Try challenging a local journalist or celebrity to swim with your team!
Let local television stations know the date of your event, and invite them to attend your event.
Ask local businesses to support your team’s efforts - either through a flat donation, by providing prizes for your swimmers, or agreeing to match the funds raised by individual swimmers or a larger group.
10. HOST YOUR SWIM-A-THON by putting your plan into action.
Remind your coach, volunteers, and media the day before the event.
Make/purchase snacks and drinks.
Create energy and fun. You know how to motivate your athlete best. Create some concrete incentives for after the Swim-A-Thon such as meeting with friends, eating out, earning a small reward, or talking about representing the USA at a World Event!
Take photos and videos. Consider doing some Facebook Live posts.
Thank the coach, volunteers, and teammates!
Congratulate your swimmer!
