The Haines Dolphins Swim Team celebrated spring this week with our first time-trial in over a year. A time trial is essentially a swim meet for the team, which is sanctioned by USA Swimming and allows our athletes to compare their progress to their peers around the state, and the nation.
Thanks to grants from Chilkat Valley Community Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, and the Crossett Fund, and gifts from generous donors, our swimmers are now lining up on standardized starting blocks, and tracking their times using professional equipment.
We would like to thank Ed Bryant and the Haines Borough for working with us to install the starting blocks, and Larry Jurgeleit for supervising installation of the new scoreboard. James Alborough and Thom Andriesen helped train our new timing managers Carolyn Goolsby and Karen Garcia. Thank you for taking on the behind-the-scenes work of the computer system. Two dozen volunteers turned out to help our swimmers log their best times. Thank you for showing up to support our athletes.
The generosity of time and donations gives Haines youth the chance to be a part of a team, build camaraderie, improve their skills, set and strive for goals, and have a lot of fun. Thank you to so many of you for supporting the Haines Dolphins. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Gratefully,
Rich Chapell for the Haines Dolphins Swim Team Board