Swim-a-Thon 2025

It’s that time again! We are excited for this year's BIG team fundraiser: the Swim-a-Thon! As a non-profit organization, the monthly dues that we charge our families are only part of the money required to cover all of the operational costs our team sees each year. So each year we run a USA Swimming Foundation approved fundraising event called a Swim-a-Thon, which brings all of our kids together for a two hour swimming event where they swim as many laps as possible. Family and friends sponsor our swimmers as they participate in the Swim-a-Thon. Funds raised go directly toward the operation of our team and help keep monthly dues as low as possible. Every donation helps our team! Remind family and friends that Vallejo Aquatic Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible! Your support of our Swim-a-Thon is very much appreciated!

This year’s Swim-a-Thon will be held on Friday, November 7th from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm at Cunningham Pool. Even though the Swim-a-Thon event is happening on Friday, November 7th, families can continue collecting donations until Friday, December 5th in order to coincide with Giving Tuesday 2025 (Tuesday, December 2nd). Although VJO is not associated with Giving Tuesday, if you have friends or family members who participate in charitable giving during the holiday season, please ask them to consider donating to VJO’s Swim-a-Thon this year to support youth aquatics in Vallejo and Solano County. 

One the VJO webiste and sent in an email, you will find the “Set-up Guide for Swimmers”. This PDF uses screenshots to show you how to access and personalize your personal fundraising page. The PDF has the steps to import email contacts to reach out to friends and family. If you have used the email feature in the past, you can use the tool to reach out to past donors again this year. It also details how to use social media to promote our Swim-a-Thon fundraiser. This document can also be found on the team’s website under the Swim-a-Thon tab.

If you need help drafting an email or social media message to encourage friends and family to donate, on the VJO website and sent in an email you will also find a sample solicitation letter. Feel free to use this wording when communicating with donors.

Prizes

Prizes can also be viewed on the team’s website under the Swim-a-Thon tab.

$100: VJO silicone cap

$200: choice of shirt from new VJO webstore (short sleeve, long sleeve, tank top)

$300: limited edition “Instant Champ” shirt (inspired by every swimmer’s favorite cup-of-noodles)

$400: limited edition “Instant Champ” hoodie

$500: VJO team suit (mens or womens)

$800: VJO team bag

$1000: VJO parka

*Please note that families receive the prize for their highest donation level. Prizes are not cumulative.

Collecting Donations

We ask VJO families to reach out to their families and friends for donations to the Swim-a-Thon. Family and friends can make a flat donation or can pledge swimmers per lap. The Swim-a-Thon has changed to a paperless fundraising platform. This means USA Swimming will no longer provide paper pledge sheets. Please encourage family and friends to donate using the team’s website. Each swimmer has an automatically generated fundraising page on the team’s website. To access your fundraising page, click the Swim-a-Thon tab at the top of the VJO home page (click the main tab, not the sub tabs). This is the page family and friends will see when they donate to your swimmer. See the attached PDF for info on how to use your fundraising page, or click the “Personal Fundraising Set Up” tab under the Swim-a-Thon main tab. If a family chooses, each swimmer’s fundraising page can also be linked to social media, making it even easier to reach out to family and friends. 

Even though we strongly encourage using the team’s website to collect Swim-a-Thon donations, families who still wish to use the paper pledge sheets can download and print their own. Pledge sheets will be available for download from the team website under the Swim-a-Thon tab as well as send via email.

Mandatory Participation

The Vallejo Aquatic Club Parent Handbook (2025/2026) states: “Each family is required to contribute $200.00 for one swimmer or $300.00 for two or more swimmers for our annual ‘swim-a-thon’ fundraiser. Families may reach out and ask friends and relatives to contribute towards their athlete’s swim-a-thon obligation, or they may elect to pay it directly.  Any unpaid fundraising obligation will be charged to your account within 30 days of the swim-a-thon.”

Swim-a-Thon Day

On the day of the event, please arrive at Cunningham pool at 5:00. Swimmers should bring all gear they normally would for practice. Swimmers must also bring a friend or family member to count their laps! People acting as lap counters need to bring their own chairs! Clip boards, count sheets, and pencils will be provided by VJO. 

Questions…?

Please contact Lesley Ruszel (Liam’s and Rhys’s mom) with any questions! Lesley can be reached by email: [email protected]. 

Good luck and Go Sharks!