Kids at Flourtown Swim Club raised more than $3,200 for the Wounded Warrior Project.

by Nick D’Orazio

“For this project, I decided to combine the two things I am most passionate about: honoring our nation’s heroes and and swimming.”

Those were Benjamin Gendron’s words when he approached the Flourtown Swim Team on doing a fundraiser project in preparation on making his Bar Mitzvah this coming September. Ben, 12, is a rising 8th grader at Springfield Township Middle School and has been a member of the Flourtown Swim Club’s swim team, the Gators, since he was 7.

On Monday, July 27, during morning practice, Ben and his fellow teammates swam laps in a swim-a-thon for the Wounded Warriors Project.

“I didn’t expect it to be as hard as it was. I was happy I made my goal,” said Amanda Conti, another fellow teammate, who proudly reached her goal of 150 laps. Swimmers enjoyed donuts, bagelsand music during the event.

A few of Ben’s fellow classmates, who swim for the neighboring swim club, the Flourtown Country Club, even came over and swam.

“Knowing it was for a good cause made me more driven to swim,” said Jake Guller, a fellow teammate, who swam 100 laps. Ben and his teammates swam a total of 2,182 laps and raised over $3,200.

Nick D’Orazio is the Flourtown Swim Club coach and pool manager.