Fundraising is extremely important for the growth and future of the Parkland Aquatic Club (PAAC). PAAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and affiliated with USA Swimming. As such, charitable donations may be tax deductible (consult a professional to see if your donations qualify). Donations to the United Way can be sent to PAAC but you must identify PAAC as a receipent, we are not an organization listed in the pre-printed materials.
Our club name may be Parkland but we are not affiliated with the Parkland School District. PAAC is an independent organization and provides services to athletes from many communities and/or school districts. In fact, PAAC has athletes from more school districts than all the other local USA Swim Clubs combined. Therefore donating to PAAC will reach more communities in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area than any other swim club.
It is important to understand that PAAC is more than a competitive swim team. Our primary goal is highlighted by our mission statement: “Empowering children to become champions in life through the excellence in swimming and diving.” Below are some of our key focal points:
- We have partnered with the City of Allentown and the Downtown Kiwanis Club of Allentown and launched an annual summer drowning prevention and awareness program titled “Pool Proof”. Through Pool Proof, we look to train and educate children and parents on water safety issues and topics. The program was launched in 2016 and continues to this day.
- We have re-launched the PAAC Swim School Program. The intent of the Swim School is to provide quality swim lessons for young children and beginning swimmers to learn the fundamental of swimming. The program provides swim lessons with a low swimmer to athlete ratio in order to maximize the benefit from each lesson.
- We have partnered with the Allentown School District to provide up to eight scholarships to Allentown students ranging from middle school to high school. The scholarship program is so successful that one of the scholarship receipants won a PIAA District XI Gold Medal in 2018. This was the first PIAA District XI medal won by an Allentown School District student in at least fifteen (15) years.
- Our coaches provide free swim clinics periodically throughout the year but mostly in the summertime. These clinics provide key technique training to swimmers from all ages and all abilities.
- We offer the highest quality competitive training in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. No club in our area has produced more PIAA District and State Champion swimmers than PAAC. In addition, no club has produced more Junior National, National and Olympic Trial Qualifiers than the Parkland Aquatic Club.
By sponsoring the Parkland Aquatic Club you are sponsoring an organization with a very broad outreach that prides itself on producing athletes who not only learn the importance of hard work, determination and the understanding that results are based on their efforts but who also make great friends and memories that will last a lifetime. We are very proud of our success and athlete accomplishments of becoming “Champions in Life”
Go PAAC!
The PAAC Developmental Committee
