Hello again neighbors,

As many of you know, I swim competitively for the Rose Bowl Aquatics Swim Team in Pasadena. I’m 15 and nearing the end of my sophomore year in high school. My sister Ellie is 12 and is a 6th grader. She joined our swim team about a year ago. Ellie practices every day after school from 3:30 to 5:00. I’m in the pool a little longer. I have morning workouts M-W-F from 5:00 to 6:30 then every day after school from 3:30 to 6:30. Between swimming and homework we stay pretty busy.

This has been a very exciting and successful year for our TEAM. We finished in second place at the Summer Junior Olympics, up from 17th just four years ago. We also had Jason Lezak join our team. (He is pictured below with Ellie) Jason is the American record holder in the 100-meter freestyle and he is training to make the Olympics in China this summer. And last year, out of the thousands of teams across the country, our swim-a-thon raised the sixth highest amount of money.

This Saturday May 3rd, is this year’s swim-a-thon. It is our biggest fundraiser of the year. My teammates, (about 270 swimmers) Ellie and I will have 2 hours to swim 200 lengths. This is 5,000 yards or almost 3 miles. Last year it took me about an hour. Ellie had been swimming for only a short time before last year’s swim-a-thon and went about 4,000 yards. This year she hopes to finish the full 5,000.

We are writing to ask for your help. Will you please sponsor Ellie and me for our swim-a-thon? You can sponsor us by the length or a flat amount (this is the easiest). Your donation is tax deductible and will be used to support our TEAM, our coaches and USA Swimming. You can sponsor us for any amount; $100, $50, $20, $10, $5 – every donation will be greatly appreciated. Tax ID #95-4320306. We are a group of good kids working very hard to compete regionally and nationally. So please sponsor us and help our TEAM.

To sponsor us, please email us via my dad at joscarson@charter.net.
You can send a check made payable to ROSE BOWL AQUATICS BOOSTER CLUB
Please mail the check to:     BERKLIE & ELLIE OSCARSON
                                          c/o ROSE BOWL AQUATICS CENTER
                                                360 N ARROYO BLVD
                                                PASADENA CA 91103

For more information about the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center visit: http://www.rosebowlaquatics.org/
For more information about our swim team visit: http://www.rosebowlaquatics.org/SwimTeam/Swim.htm

Thank you for supporting me, Ellie and our TEAM.

Sincerely,

Berklie Oscarson and Ellie Oscarson

p.s. Please forward this email to your friends, family and associates or anyone who might like to support a great bunch of kids.