Volunteers Needed!

Dare2tri is hosting a couple more swim clinics for the Veterans at the Hines Spinal Cord Injury Unit and would love your help.

The events will take place at the Waters Edge (545 John Street) from 9 AM – 11 AM on the following dates:

Thursday, January 31
Thursday, February 28
Thursday, March 28

Karin Carney, Sharon Bielski, Terry Shea, and Nicole Goers have participated in previous clinics and can answer general questions about volunteering.

Please contact Keri Schindler at 847-942-6937 or keri@dare2tri.org if you are interest in helping out.

What do you do as a volunteer?

It all depending on your comfort level.  Based on the last clinic...

There are veterans who just wants to get in the water and move around (similar to water aerobics).  As a volunteer, you just hang out with the veterans in the water and keep them company.

There are veterans who haven't been in the water in ages so you help them become re-acclimated to the water (e.g., helping the veteran walk from one end of the pool to another, helping the veteran float on their backs with the assistance of noodles, helping the veterans become comfortable putting their face in the water, assisting them in swimming).  As a volunteer, you want to make sure the veteran feels safe as they try new things in the water.

There are veterans who are working to improve their strokes and distances. We were told many veterans are trying to become scuba certified so they are practicing to meet the scuba swimming requirement. 

Two volunteers are typically placed with each veteran to help with stability and making sure the veteran feels safe.

 The water can get chilly after awhile, so you might want to bring a wetsuit if you have one.