Second Harvest Foodbank Drive

press release: Simply Swimming in Middleton is teaming up with the Madison All-City Swim and Dive meet to host a food and fund drive at the store to benefit the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin.

Sunday, July 26, would have marked the start of All-City Swim & Dive Championship week, where thousands of swimmers, divers, families and fans from 13 pools across the Greater Madison area come together to compete in one of the country’s largest outdoor amateur swim meets and celebrate the sport of swim and dive. Due to the current pandemic, the Madison All-City League Board made the difficult decision to cancel all meets for the 2020 summer season.  

In addition to competing in the water, each of these pools traditionally spend the summer competing against each other to raise money for the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. In fact, since 2008, the All-City League has made an average contribution of $40,000-$50,000 per year, which in total, adds up to more than 1.95 million meals for our community!

Because of current restrictions and guidelines, some member teams opted to put their season on hold entirely, while others operated with drastically reduced members and practices. This reduction has had a dramatic impact on the ability for these pools to raise funds, at a time when local families need the support of Second Harvest more than ever.

To celebrate the spirit of All-City Championship Week, Simply Swimming, located at 6649 University Avenue in Middleton, is hosting a food and fund drive at their store July 30^th-August 1st. Anyone is welcome to bring a non-perishable food item to drop into the donation barrel or make a donation to the cash jar. Swimmers and divers who would have been competing this week can still celebrate “The Lost Meet” by purchasing All-City 2020 apparel, with a portion of the proceeds going to Second Harvest.

About the Madison All-City League and Championship Meet:

The All-City Swim and Dive League, a long-standing institution in the Madison Area, offers an introduction to competitive swimming and diving for kids from ages 4-18 during the summer months. The annual All-City Swim Meet is one of the largest outdoor amateur meets in the country.

About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin:

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin began working with local hunger-relief agencies in 1986. It helps end hunger in 16 southwestern Wisconsin counties through food distribution to its partner agencies, promotion of outside food assistance programs like FoodShare, and raising awareness of hunger. As southwestern Wisconsin’s largest hunger-relief charity it meets nearly one million requests for help each year. From July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 Second Harvest, together with its partner agencies and programs, provided 14.2 million meals.  It is one of 200 members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org.

About Simply Swimming:

Simply Swimming is Dane County’s largest swimming supplier, proudly serving South Central Wisconsin’s swimming community for over 15 years.