USADSS Swimmers’ Swim-A-Thon Tool Kit
Please use this tool kit to launch your local Swim-A-Thon FUNdraiser.
We can’t wait to celebrate all of your athletes!
1. Use the parent’s Email address to login into Team Unify: https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/usadss/page/home
Note: Contact Info@USADSS.org if you need login your information Emailed to you.
2. USADSS has already set up your athlete’s Swim-A-Thon Fundraiser page, but you have the option of changing the donation letter, increasing or decreasing your swimmer’s $1000 goal, and adding photos.
CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED!
Please encourage your athlete to get involved to personalize the page and make it unique.
Once you can view your swimmers trading card, 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 for your athlete.
Please invite your Email contacts using the online tool.
Please 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.
3. 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.
4. USA Swimming offers an incentive program for Swim-A-Thon participants. While USADSS is not planning to do additional incentives, families are welcome to be creative with their swimmer. The hope is that we will earn enough to eliminate the coaches’ and uniform fees. To do that each athlete will need to raise $1000. The prizes are $400-$599= Rally Towel, $600-$799=Stainless Water Bottle, $800-$1199=Silicone Swim Cap, $1200+=Full Size Red Towel.
5. PLAN YOUR SWIM-A-THON
Many of our swimmers will use their current practice time for their Swim-A-Thon. Work with the coach to pick a good day, or find a pool where you can swim. Swim-A-Thon’s are typically 2 hours.
Invite your swimmer’s team to join the fun!
Entire teams can sign up to participate in the fundraiser by exporting minimum information to USADSS.To sign up this way, connect your swim coach to USADSS at Info@USADSS.org.
Individual swimmers can also sign up to be participants using this link:
https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/usadss/controller/cms/admin/index?team=usadss#/website-design
Even if no one else is collecting money, teammates can still count their laps and tell the coach (and your swimmer) how many laps they swam for them that day. We have 4000 miles to get to Portugal… that’s a lot of yards! This goal is intended to make it fun for our swimmers and to build awareness of the World Championship within the local community.
Brainstorm with your swimmers’ coach 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.
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.
Invite some mentors to come and help count laps or cheer. Using the plastic numbers to count 20 at a time could be very motivating for swimmers. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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!
