Members of Columbia Gorge Masters after completing the 1-Hour Virtual Championship, a distance-based competition held across U.S. Masters Swimming clubs, on Jan. 21.
Columbia Gorge Masters member Kellie Dunn, organizer Sandi Rousseau and Head Coach Shelly Rawding (left to right) present a $10,600 check to Billie Stevens, (second from right) the volunteer coordinator for FISH Food Bank in Hood River.
Members of Columbia Gorge Masters after completing the 1-Hour Virtual Championship, a distance-based competition held across U.S. Masters Swimming clubs, on Jan. 21.
HOOD RIVER — Throughout January, Columbia Gorge Masters participated in a nationwide swimming competition. Before dawn broke at the Hood River Aquatic Center, swimmers tested how much distance they could cover in one hour, and in doing so, donated over $10,000 to FISH Food Bank.
Oregon Masters Swimming (OMS) has never won the 1-Hour Virtual Championship, but board member Sandi Rousseau, who also helps manage the local chapter, said the organization wanted to make a more concerted effort this year to honor Bob Bruce, OMS long distance chair. Bruce helped advance open water and long distance swimming opportunities for many years, so an OMS member offered all swimmers a $100 rebate as encouragement. Columbia Gorge Masters member Kellie Dunn suggested they use the proceeds to help mitigate food insecurity during a time of heightened need.
“Our main goal is fitness, but it’s also the comradery,” said Rousseau of the group’s purpose. “We have about 70 wonderful people from all walks of life, and they all come together with a love of swimming.”
“I swim like four days a week,” said Marcie Wily, the Hood River Aquatic Center supervisor who also participated in the championship. “It’s for my mental health and my physical health — it screws my head on straight for the day.”
Columbia Gorge Masters swims Monday through Friday from 6-7:30 a.m., but on designated January mornings, they had timers present to track laps and yardage. OMS handily won the large club division with just under 1.5 million yards swam, and alongside 363 others across the state, 53 people participated locally to raise $5,300, subsequently doubled by an anonymous donor.
Columbia Gorge Masters member Kellie Dunn, organizer Sandi Rousseau and Head Coach Shelly Rawding (left to right) present a $10,600 check to Billie Stevens, (second from right) the volunteer coordinator for FISH Food Bank in Hood River.
Contributed photo
“I was very excited to hear about the Masters swim team doing their fundraiser,” said Breen Goodwin, executive director of Columbia Gorge Food Bank in The Dalles, which distributes to FISH Food Bank. One of Oregon Food Bank’s 21 regional hubs, the organization’s network served over 77,000 people last year, and from 2019 to 2024, food bank visits statewide have risen 190%.
“Need is growing at a faster rate than food supply,” said Goodwin. “The volume of food in the Oregon Food Bank network has increased every year since the pandemic, and it’s still trying to keep up with the increase in need that’s happening.”
Food insecurity impacted 12.8% and 9.5% of households in Oregon and Washington, respectively, between 2021 and 2023, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Goodwin said it’s caused by poverty and rooted in the lack of affordable housing, healthcare and livable wages. She also noted that single parents, BIPOC and gender-diverse communities are disproportionately affected by food insecurity.
“Food banks and food pantries are not a solution to hunger,” said Goodwin. “When we see the same family for years or multiple years, that’s a much deeper issue — that’s a systemic issue, meaning they don’t have the resources to get back on their feet.”
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), part of USDA, supplies around 30% of Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s stockpile and is one of 2,600 federal programs under scrutiny by the Trump administration, according to the New York Times. While its funding remains stable, significant cuts may come to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, if Congressional Republicans follow budget guidelines passed by the House last Tuesday, which would put an additional burden onto food banks.
“Our partners are amazing, committed individuals, and we’re going to continue to show up to serve the community,” said Goodwin.
You can join Columbia Gorge Food Bank on May 3 for a community open house and food drive at 3525 Crates Way, or donate by visiting give.oregonfoodbank.org/give/213674/#!/donation/checkout. If you want to organize a food drive, reach out to info@columbiagorgefoodbank.org. FISH Food Bank readily accepts canned goods, fresh produce, non-perishable items and personal hygiene products. For a full list of the most needed items or to donate, visit www.fish-food-bank.com/donations.
“Our Masters team was so motivated to participate in this competition as a fundraiser, and some swimmers who had been out of the water for some reason made a special effort to swim just to be able to donate,” said Rousseau. “We’re thrilled that we can contribute to a community organization that provides such a needed service.”
Columbia Gorge Masters welcomes swimmers of all ages, regardless of previous experience. To find out more information, contact Head Coach Shelly Rawding at hrsvt.coach@gmail.com or Rousseau at swim@gorge.net.
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