ANNUAL JAMIE HESS SWIM MARATHON
June 22nd, 2010

Proceeds to support the Jamie Hess Memorial Juvenile Bone Marrow Transplant Fund at the Massey Cancer Center of the Medical College of Virginia

For five summers, Jamie Hess was a member of the Ashland Barracudas swim team. A student at Rural Point Elementary School in Mechanicsville, Jamie was regarded as an all-around great swimmer, friend and sport to his teammates, fellow students, and friends. An avid athlete, swimming was just one of the sports that Jamie enjoyed; however, there were countless swimmers, parents, and coaches who enjoyed spending their time at the pool with this young man.

In 2001, Jamie was diagnosed with leukemia. Despite the many challenges he and his family faced, Jamie continued to participate on the Ashland swim team throughout the 2001 summer season. His participation served as an inspiration to his teammates and to the Ashland community. Jamie struggled valiantly against cancer, and his fight against the disease united a county during the winter of 2001-2002. Jamie died in February of 2002, following his long, brave battle with the disease.

The following summer the Ashland Barracudas awarded the first Jamie Hess Sportsmanship Awards to a boy and a girl on our team who exemplified this trait that Jamie personified. Also during the summer of 2002, the Massey Cancer Center at the Medical College of Virginia established the Jamie Hess Memorial Juvenile Bone Marrow Transplant Fund to raise money and awareness for the fight against leukemia in children. The medical staff that treated Jamie chose to name the fund in his memory to honor this remarkable person whose smile never faded.

For the past years, the Ashland Barracudas sponsored swim marathons in memory of Jamie and to raise funds for the fund that bears his name. Joining the Barracudas have been teams from all over Hanover County- Atlee, Ashcreek, Kings Charter, Mechanicsville, Pebble Creek, and Rockville . The teams have united to collect over $10,000 to assist with the first projects supported by the Jamie Hess Fund.

This year, the Hess Swim Marathon will be held the day of Jamie’s birthday, June 22, 2010. We are hoping to have participants at pools throughout the county. We are hopeful that your team would like to join us in this worthy cause.

For more information on the swim marathon, email Kevin Trent at AshlandBarracuda@comcast.net and title the email “Jamie Hess Swim Marathon”.

Questions and Answers for Swim Marathon Participants

What is the Jamie Hess Fund?

The Jamie Hess Memorial Juvenile Bone Marrow Transplant Fund was established at the Massey Cancer Center at the Medical College of Virginia to raise money for research in bone marrow transplants for children. Founded only a few years ago, the fund has grown quickly, and the Massey Center is preparing to begin its research projects using this funding.

When and where will the swim marathon be?

The swim marathon will be held at your pool on June 22. See your coach for the specific time you will be swimming.

What should I do prior to the Swim Marathon ?

Collect pledges and/or donations prior to the swim marathon. Call your friends, family, teachers, and other people you know and explain to them that you are collecting money for the Jamie Hess fund.

What is the difference between a donation and a pledge?

A donation is a flat amount of money that people may want to give you regardless of how many lengths you swim. A pledge is a certain amount a person would give you for every length you swim. For example, if someone pledges $0.25 per length, and you swim 50 lengths, that person would owe you $12.50. If you swam 80 lengths, that person would owe you $20.

What do I do on the day of the swim marathon?

Bring your pledge sheet and any donations you have already collected with you to your pool and turn it in to the swim marathon representative. Then get in the pool and swim as many lengths of the pool as you can in an hour. When you are done, ask your counter how many lengths you swam. When you leave, get your pledge sheet back, fill in the number of lengths you swam, and compute how much your pledgers owe.

What about after the swim marathon?

Go to those who promised donations and pledges and collect your money. Return all your money to the swim marathon representative at your pool.

When is my money due?

Try to have you money collected and turned in to your representative by July 1.

I have to do fund raisers for my school and for my swim team also, and I get tired of asking people for money. What should I do in this case?

This swim marathon is for a great cause. No swim team will profit from the event; however, countless kids could benefit from the Jamie Hess Fund. When you explain that the event is for charity, many people will want to help you.

To whom should my donors and pledgers make their checks?

Checks should be made to the Massey Cancer Center . In the check’s memo section, write “Jamie Hess Fund”.

Are donations to the Jamie Hess Fund tax deductible?

Absolutely.

What if I can only raise a little bit of money?

Little bits from lots of participants will add up quickly. Please do not consider any contribution to be too small. Whatever you can raise can make a difference!