How many laps do you think you could swim at Oak Harbor’s John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool in a couple of hours?

Whether its hundreds or just a few, the American Red Cross urges all swimmers in the community to sign up for a Swim-A-Cross fund-raiser Saturday, June 21 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“It’s like a walk-a-thon,” said Barbara Johnson, the interim director of the Island County Chapter of the American Red Cross, “but it’s in water.”

The swimmer, she explained, gathers pledges from family, friends and neighbors. The donors pledge fund based on how many laps the swimmer completes.

In order to make the event exciting, as well as meaningful, Head Life Guard Erika Miller said there will be all kinds of great prizes for the swimmers. The prizes, which the organizers are still gathering, will likely be awarded to those who do the most laps.

“We’re trying to make it fun,” Miller said, “to get more kids involved.”

Miller said the fund-raiser at the pool makes a lot of sense since there is a strong link between the pool program and the Red Cross. All the pool’s life guards, swimming instructors and instructors-in-training have Red Cross certification. “It’s the best program out there,” she said.

Johnson said all the funds raised will be used for Red Cross programs — disaster relief, safety programs — in Island County. So far this year, she said the organization has helped 17 families in need, most of which had fires in their homes.

“We help families recover,” she explained, “and get back to a point where they can go on.”

Johnson urges interested swimmers to register early and begin gathering pledges. Applications forms can be picked up at the pool, on SE Jerome Street, or at the Red Cross office at 1010 W. Ault Field Road.

“All ages, anybody who likes to get in the water and swim,” she said, “we encourage them to get involved.”

You can reach News-Times reporter Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com or call 675-6611.