Tonight, a group of young women will put their swim training to good use and aim to raise $40,000 for the Charlotte Rescue Mission.
Founded by then 10-year-old Grace Daniels in 2015, Laps for Love is a yearly swim-a-thon where teams compete against each other to swim the most laps they can do in half an hour, relay-style. Donors can sponsor swimmers per lap or give a flat amount.
In the first two years combined the organization raised $39,695, but hopes to more than double that this year with a $40,000 goal.
Laps for Love is managed by a board of eight middle and high school-aged girls: Grace Daniels, Riley Buelow, Cate Darling, Shelby Koelz, Avery Lyon, Abbi Snyder, Claire Swain, and Alison Thome.
The following video outlines some event logistics:
Daniels first donated to the Charlotte Rescue Mission after she saved up the money her parents gave her over the course of a season whenever she swam best times. She and six of the other board members swim for the Bad Fish Aquatics, SwimMAC Carolina, Beverly Crest, Stingray Aquatics, and the Brightmoor Barracudas.
The event will also include a “Race the Rev” competition, in which Charlotte clergy will race against Charlotte Rescue Mission’s President and CEO, Tony Marciano.
The Charlotte Rescue Mission has been working for almost 80 years to help people dealing with addiction and poverty find solutions for long-term recovery.
To donate or register, you can visit the event website here.
Might be fun to go to