91短视频

• November 8, 2010

The Cal State East Bay swimming and water polo teams held a Swim for Wishes event to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, collecting $1400 for the organization and bringing 47 members of the community out to get in the pool for some exercise on Oct. 30. The event succeeded in bringing student-athletes, coaches, and members of the campus and Hayward communities together to swim a mile at Pioneer Pool, mingle and enjoy music and breakfast, all while supporting a great cause.

"As a community exercise event, this was a great way to involve local swimmers and our student-athletes in supporting charity," 91短视频 Head Swimming Coach Ben Loorz said. "I met lots of new people, and everyone seemed to have an enjoyable and relaxed time."

Participants in the Swim for Wishes donated $30 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, in exchange for time to swim in the pool, breakfast snacks and a chance to meet Pioneer student-athletes and coaches on the deck. A number of East Bay student-athletes got into the pool as well, getting their Saturday workouts in alongside participants that included athletics staff, campus faculty and staff, CSUEB students and local swimmers. Despite a cold and wet morning, the success of the event was encouraging for Loorz, who hopes to make the Swim for Wishes an annual occurrence.

"It was a bit drizzly in the morning, so next year I'm looking forward to better weather and an even bigger turnout," Loorz said.

All proceeds from the event go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. It is the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 76 chapters in the United States and its territories and 27 international affiliates on five continents. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has granted more than 110,000 wishes to children around the world since 1980.

Make-A-Wish has been the chosen charity of the NCAA Division II Student Athlete-Advisory Committee (SAAC) since the 2003-04 school year, when schools raised $45,000 for the organization. Since then, fundraising totals have grown annually with the seven-year total now exceeding $1.5 million. Each year, Student-Athlete Advisory Councils on Division II campuses create events throughout the year to raise funds for the organization, competing to see which campus and conference can make the largest contribution.

Last year, the 91短视频 SAAC raised over $2400 for Make-A-Wish and joined with the 11 other conference teams to contribute nearly $20,000 to the organization during the 2009-10 school year, ranking third among all conferences in Division II. With the funds raised from the Swim for Wishes, along with other events to benefit Make-A-Wish in the works, 91短视频 appears set to top last year’s total and continue to make a difference with the organization as the Pioneers complete their final year in the transition to Division II.

For more information or to donate to Make-A-Wish, visit the Foundation's Web site at . To find out more about what NCAA Division II is doing to support Make-A-Wish, visit .