Lions Swim Team holds swim-a-thon one week before state

A local swimming team is holding an annual fundraiser Thursday at the Havre community pool, one week after the high school team competed at state and one week before its own state tournament.

Lions Swim Team coach Chris Inman said team members will swim in the annual swim-a-thon from 4 to 6 p. m., with the swimmers trying to swim as many laps as they can in the two hours, with a maximum of 200 laps. The team members have been collecting pledges from local residents in preparation for the fundraiser.

She said local residents are welcome to come to the fundraiser.

"If they want to come watch they can, or make a pledge to the Havre Lions Swim Team, that would be great, too, " Inman said.

Michelle Burchard, whose children, Kyla, 5, Kobi, 8, and Kabe, 10, started swimming with the team last fall, said the goal is to use the tax-deductible donations for the rental fee the team pays to use the pool, from 5 to 6 p. m. Monday through Friday through its season.

She said her children have greatly enjoyed being on the Lions team, and expects them to continue.

"My kids really enjoy it. They have fun, and it's a great team. It's a great group of people …, " Burchard said, adding, "Chris is great, too. "

Inman said the activity, part of the USA Swimming that was called AAU Swimming when she participated, starts in the fall and runs through the last meet in July. It is highly competitive, with tournaments in most of the larger towns in Montana and the Havre team — with 19 this year — competing against teams that may have significantly more than 100 swimmers.

The Havre Lions team remains competitive, she said, usually putting several swimmers into finals in different events.

The team's major fundraiser is putting up flags, and taking them down, for holidays — Inman said the local businesses pay a yearly fee for the service.

The fundraising bought a major investment for the team this year, with the purchase of new uniforms that the Lions team members will be wearing during the swim-a-thon Thursday.

Inman said the team appreciates the support the area residents give to the team in its fundraisers.

"For a small team we definitely do well, and the community supports us very well, " Inman said.