On Wednesday, September 10, the school hosted the 31st annual Swimathon at Lake Wononscopomuc. The Swimathon is an annual event that raises money for Special Olympics Connecticut and supports the Dream Day Center in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Dream Day Center is a daycare resource for Ukrainian refugee children with intellectual disabilities.

The Swimathon is organized by the Special Olympics club, which began planning the event in June by designing merch, choosing a date, and coordinating with athletes. J.T. Popp ’26, co-head of the Special Olympics club, said, “Hosting the Swimathon is a fun activity that gets more people involved with the mission of Special Olympics. [We aim to] help athletes all over the world, but especially in Connecticut. Our Swimathon is one of our biggest events.”

This year marked the first time that the event was limited to varsity swimmers, a decision made after last year when too many students were unable to complete the two-mile swim. However, non-varsity swimmers are welcome to participate in a second Swimathon this November. This event will be held in the Hixon Pool and include Special Olympics Connecticut swim team members. The Swimathon raised $13,408; there will be another opportunity to donate in November.