Fundraisers in Swimming by Vera Soukhanovskii

Fundraisers in Swimming by Vera Soukhanovskii Charitable organizations and fundraisers play an important role in helping people that face serious illnesses and hardships. Across the country, nonprofit organizations work to raise money, spread awareness, and provide support for patients and their families. Many of these organizations rely on volunteers, students, local communities and even athletes to make a difference through events and donations. Programs such as swim across America and the Marissa Tufaro Foundation are two examples of local organizations. Through swimming events, fundraisers and Community programs these foundations support medical research and struggling families. By participating in events hosted by these organizations, students and athletes are able to support valuable causes while also having fun. Swim Across America is a nonprofit organization that aids in funding cancer patients and research through fundraisers and swims hosted to raise awareness. They were founded in 1987, and encourage swimmers of all ages and skill levels to participate in swimming events to raise money for cancer treatments and research. Their main concern is the recent decrease in funds toward cancer research, and so they primarily focus on raising money to reverse these changes. The money raised supports hospitals and research centers all across the country, helps scientists develop new treatments, and improve survival rates for patients. They also demonstrate how teamwork creates positive impacts, and also shows how anyone can do their part in aiding patients and bringing hope to families affected by cancer. Last weekend, Swim Across America hosted a fundraiser event at North Brunswick High School. In order to attend, swimmers had to register on their website and then raise money to support the cause. On May 16th, swimmers of all ages got together at the pool for some fun activities. We played many different games, did relay races, had time for open swim, and were able to meet a lot of new people. We also spoke to a cancer survivor, and she told us her story and thanked us for supporting this program. It was a very fun experience for me in many ways. I was able to meet some new people and local swimmers, and enjoyed swimming with them. I also gained some valuable knowledge about SAA and was able to support an important cause. This was not the first swimming related fund raiser I have attended. Along with the High School swim team, I have swam for the Marisa Tufaro Foundation, another nonprofit organization based in New Jersey. It was created in memory of Marisa Tufaro, a young girl who struggled with a serious heart disease, cancer, and many difficult surgeries. She ultimately passed away at the age of 13. Marisa's parents created the foundation to honor her life and continue her dreams of helping other children and families in need throughout all of Middlesex county. They support pediatric patients through donations, toy drives, food collections, scholarships, financial assistance for families with medical hardships, hospital programs, and so much more. Their primary mission is to promote community service, kindness, and giving hope to those in need or families facing difficult circumstances. The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated thousands of dollars to support hundreds of families. They also often team up and partner with hospitals and schools for fund raising programs and events. Every year, SBHS swimmers meet up with other schools and athletes at an event similar to the SAA I described earlier. The event starts with all swimmers swimming a long distance in the pool. After, athletes and coaches participate in games and relay races. Marisa’s parents also attend the event and give an inspirational speech about Marisa, her life, and the foundation they created in her honor. All swimmers attending also donate money to support the foundation and its causes. The event is enjoyable for everyone, and allows schools to forget their rivalry and simply spend time together and promote the Marisa Tufaro Foundation. Organizations like the Marisa Tufaro Foundation and Swim Across America bring communities together by encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to work toward a shared goal, support those in need, and inspire others to do the same. School events and programs give students opportunities to learn about the values of giving. In addition, these organizations also increase awareness about serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, and they help others understand the challenges that patients and their families face. The money raised helps improve research, provide resources, and support financially struggling families during difficult times. These foundations also inspire compassion in people, and show that even the smallest actions can make a big difference in someone's life. If you want to support any of the organizations talked about, I have attached links to their websites so that anyone can learn more about their causes. https://marisatufarofoundation.org/ https://www.swimacrossamerica.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=SAA_Homepage