Hartley Swimmer wins Swim-A-Cross Grand Prize
Caleb Smith of Hartley was the winner of the 2009 Siouxland Area Chapter, American Red Cross Swim-A-Cross grand prize – a bicycle donated by Target Stores of Sioux City. He is the son of Bobbi Carpenter and Jeff Smith and took swimming lessons at the Hartley swimming pool. Caleb was one of 140 young people entered in the grand prize drawing. Each participating swimming session had two entrees; one entry for the top money raiser and one entry to the person with the most donors on their list.
The traveling trophy for collecting the most donations per town went to Holstein, IA, who raised $2,011 in two swimming lesson sessions.
Once again, the Swim-A-Cross program partnered with Pizza Ranch Corporation and restaurants within the Siouxland Chapter to provide free buffets for the participants at two targeted goals. Pizza Ranch also funded a portion of the expenses of this year's program resulting in increased funds to provide services to area communities.
This year the Swim-A-Cross program generated over $34,000 with 1131 youth participating in 38 swimming pools in 13 Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota counties. The American Red Cross has seen continued support from the local communities. Funds collected help ensure quality swimming lessons are available at local pools, and the money furthers the Siouxland Chapter’s ability to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Participating towns in Iowa included: Akron, Albert City, Alton, Cherokee, Correctionville, Dakota Dunes, George, Hartley, Holstein, Hospers, Hull, Ida Grove, Inwood, Kingsley, Le Mars, Mapleton, Marcus, Moville, Odebolt, Onawa, Orange City, Primghar, Remsen, Rock Rapids, Rock Valley, Sergeant Bluff, Sheldon, Sibley, Sioux Center, Sioux Rapids, Storm Lake, Sioux City pools, Morningside College, Beresford and Elk Point in South Dakota. In addition, the Iowa Great Lakes, Brushy Creek, and Loess Hills Chapter of the American Red Cross raised over $7,800.
The Siouxland Area Chapter would like to extend their thanks to everyone who generously donated to this year’s Swim-A-Cross program.
