21 February 2023
HAYSVILLE, Kan. (KSNW) — The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America receives donations from numerous kinds of events and fundraisers across the nation, including a unique event at Campus High School in Haysville.
The Campus boys swimming program has a tradition going unlike any other, at least in the Sunflower State.
Swim To A Wish is going on its eleventh year. It’s a grueling, one-of-a-kind fundraiser that lasts the entire weekend, and it begins this Friday at Campus High School.
The Glenn Crum Natatorium will be open 24 hours this weekend for the annual Swim-To-A-Wish relay.
“We will start Friday at about 4:15 or 4:30, and it’s around the clock. It usually takes around 44 hours straight,” said Campus swimming head coach Kelly Kennedy.
There are five boys on a team, and each team swims a 100-mile relay. The Campus team added an additional swimmer from Clearwater, so the Colts will swim 120 miles!
“The first 19 miles, they do 71 lengths of the pool on each of the relay turns,” explained the Campus coach.
Kennedy is in his 37th season as the boys and girls swimming coach at Campus. Steve Crum has been his assistant for 30 years.
“It’s really hard. Our kids … their skin gets dried out by the chlorine. They’re getting to sleep about an hour and a half before they have to get in and swim again,” said Crum. “We’re struggling through a weekend, but the kids we’re helping, they have to struggle every single day.”
“It’s grueling for these boys, but it’s for a great cause,” added Kennedy.
The Campus team is hoping to raise $15,000. Toss in the other participating teams from Derby, Salina South, and Salina Central, and Kennedy says he’s hoping to hit an overall goal of over $25,000.
“We’ve raised close to $300,000 in ten years,” said Kennedy.
“Our community, not only here at the high school but Haysville and South Wichita, has bought into this event,” said Crum.
“It’s a feel-good thing knowing that I’m helping other kids the way Make-A-Wish helped my daughter,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy’s daughter, Aubrey, had a tumor when she was a child. Make-A-Wish sent the Kennedy family to Disneyworld. Since then, Kennedy vowed to do something to help other children.
Monetary donations will be excepted at the Glenn Crum Natatorium throughout the weekend. For those interested, Swim-To-A-Wish also has a secure website at secure2.wish.org.