Woodcreek SeaWolves

Hello, SeaWolves –

Our biggest fundraiser, the annual Swim-A-Thon (SAT), will be held on Wednesday, May 21^st, during your regular practice hours, with all pledges due by Saturday, May 31st.

As our major fundraiser, the SAT is one of the primary means by which our team raises the money needed to manage all the expenses associated with operating a successful team. Our fundraising goal for the season is $25,000! PLEASE help us reach this goal!

We’re asking for 100% participation in this event, and hope that each swimmer can raise a minimum of $100, which earns them a SAT shirt that is used in our pre-champ’s spirit night for tie-dying. If you cannot participate in the SAT in person, you can still participate! Instead of accepting per-lap pledges, ask for a lump sum. See the attached FAQ for more information on the SAT, pledge types, language to ask for pledges, and answers to general questions.

Once again, we’re leveraging 99Pledges as our online platform, and you will be receiving an email from our Treasurer, Kayley Funk, which includes your child’s/ children’s fundraising page with easy social sharing options. Please check your spam folder if you don’t receive it, or email [email protected] with any questions.

If you prefer not to use the online platform, a manual copy of the pledge form is attached in this email for you to leverage.

We’re excited to share our preliminary 2025 prizes (attached) to entice your swimmers to ask for pledges. Please note these may change slightly, but we’re excited to debut them at practice with our swimmers this week!

Additionally, we need volunteers to be our lap counters! This is a fun and easy way to get your volunteer hours, there will be music and food, you can sign up for shifts starting next week.

More details to follow, but please let us know if you have any questions.

Best,

Jillian, Liz & Kayley

Here is the link to follow updates and make donations to our team's largest fundraising event!

https://app.99pledges.com/fund/WSWSAT2025

What is the Swim-A-Thon? 

The swim-a-thon is our major fundraiser for the season. Swimmers request donations from sponsors, either per lap (one pool length) donations or lump sum donations. Each swimmer will swim continuous laps (as many as possible in the allotted time) during their scheduled practice time and then collect the pledges from their sponsors. All pledges are due by Saturday, May 31st. 

Why is the Swim-A-Thon important? 

The cost of running a high-quality recreational team, with a professional coaching staff in a state-of the-art pool, is expensive. Our registration fees cover only a nominal amount. As our major fundraiser, the Swim-a-Thon is the primary means the team raises money needed to manage all the expenses associated with operating a successful team. Not only will funds raised keep costs low, but it will also allow the team to purchase necessary equipment (i.e. more shade tents, updated timing equipment, etc.). Our fundraising goal for the season is $25,000!! PLEASE help us reach this goal! 

How can I reach the goal? 

Our goal this year is a minimum of $100 per swimmer and 100% participation. 

You will be surprised at how generous people will be when they find out that it’s for such a great cause! 

Who do I ask for pledges? 

Ask your friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, parents’ co-workers…ask anyone who may be interested in sponsoring you – and, of course, Mom & Dad! 

How do I ask for pledges? 

If you are calling people on the phone, you could say: “Hi, this is (your name). I am on the SeaWolves swim team and am participating in a swim-a-thon on May 21st. Would you be willing to sponsor me? My goal is to swim (goal #) laps during my practice time to help raise money for my team. You can pledge per lap or a flat amount. I really appreciate your support!” 

Don’t forget that if you opt-in for 99Pledges you can also email or post your swimmer’s link on social media to receive more donations. 

Are donations tax deductible? 

Yes, all donations are tax-deductible. Our non-profit tax ID number is 68-0413329. Donation Receipts with our tax ID # 68-0413329 are available at www.woodcreekseawolves.com, under documents Donation Receipt. 

If you’re not using the online platform, whom are the checks made out to? 

Checks can be made payable to Woodcreek SeaWolves. Cash is also accepted and appreciated! If you have some sponsors that have not sent their pledge money by the deadline, we suggest that you write out one check and then collect the money from them. Making a copy or taking a picture of your pledge form to keep at home is a great suggestion if you are collecting monies after the deadline. 

When do I collect the money? 

You can collect the money at any time. All per-lap donations will be collected after the event. Our lap counters will let you know how many laps you swam, and then you can collect from your sponsors. 

All pledges must be turned in by Saturday, May 31st. T-shirts and prizes will be awarded quickly thereafter. Pledges can be turned in anytime from May 21st through May 31st. If you’re not using the online platform, please plan to deliver cash or check donations at the meet on Saturday to the attending fundraising/ board staff at the fundraising booth at the meet against Del Norte.