Dear Bullfrog Family:

Your Bullfrogs may have come home from practice talking to you about the Lisa Ferris Memorial Swim Event which will take place Monday. We hope you can join BOH and the SICSA League in supporting it.

As you know our community suffered a great loss last year when Lisa Ferris, who was the mother of our Bullfrogs Sarah and Elizabeth, passed away unexpectedly. Lisa was a pillar of our town, always volunteering, organizing and giving her expertise and time to others. As a passionate advocate for the sport of swimming, she played significant roles in various swimming organizations across Southeast Michigan. For those that are new this year she was a friend to all, the #1 BOH booster, and prior to this summer she personally recruited the vast majority of our Bullfrog swimmers and families.

In honor and recognition of her tremendous efforts for our swim kids, the entire SICSA league has come together for the first time to hold the Lisa Ferris Memorial Swim Event this year. This event is set up to benefit Detroit Swims, an organization that provides water safety and swimming education for kids in the Metro Detroit area. This is an organization that Lisa had worked with previously through her role with BBD.

Detroit Swims is a non-profit organization that is working to address the fact that over 79% of children in local low-income families have little to no swimming ability, thereby increasing their risk of drowning. The mission of Detroit Swims is to provide 1,500 children per year with swimming lessons, in collaboration with local schools and community pools in Detroit and the surrounding areas. Since its inception in 2010, Detroit Swims has equipped 5,800 children with the skills needed to swim and be safe around water.

Our planned swim event will see each participant swimming in exchange for donations to Detroit Swims. Our team plans on swimming during practice on Monday 7/10 for this event with each swimmer pledging to swim (as they are able) for 1 hour continuously. The event is being planned and run by some of our leadership kids. All funds will go directly to Detroit Swims, helping them in their mission to extend the reach of swimming lessons to more children. All six clubs in our league will be running their own versions of the event, with 100% of the proceeds sent to Detroit Swims.

Although our club's event is set to take place on Monday, July 10, 2023, we will be accepting pledges through July 28, 2023. The plan is for the kids from all 6 clubs to present representatives from Detroit Swims the total funds raised by SICSA at A Finals on August 5th.

Please consider supporting this event which is being held to honor Lisa's legacy. Your donation, no matter the amount, will go a long way in making a difference in the lives of the children benefiting from the lessons.

For instance:

- A $50 donation can purchase a swim gear kit for a student.

- A $100 donation sponsors all costs for one child to learn to swim.

- A $500 donation sponsors five children's swimming lessons.

- A $1,000 donation provides transportation for 35 children for their swim lessons for 8 weeks.

- A $2,500 donation helps a classroom of 24 children learn to swim.

To Donate Click Here:

Sicsa Fundraiser (blackbaud.com)

For more information about Detroit Swims Click Here:

Detroit Swims – YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit (ymcadetroit.org)

Lisa Ferris Memorial Swim Event - Bloomfield Open Hunt Bullfrogs Swim Team (swimtopia.com)

Thank you!

BOH Directors