Hess Swim Marathon FAQ
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 a decade ago, the fund has grown quickly, and the Massey Center is funding research on childhood leukemia and providing accommodations for leukemia patients at VCU.
When and where will the swim marathon be?
The swim marathon will be held during practice on June 23, Jamie's birthday.
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 them 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 coach by July 1, but money can be submitted all summer long.
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 Connor’s Heroes. In the check's memo section, write "Jamie Hess Fund".
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.
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!
