2021 Lifeguard Competition
For over 30 years Charleston's aquatic environments have been watched and protected by Lifeguards from a collaboration of agencies across the county. We work together to provide water surveillance, rescue response, and medical support in Charleston's diverse aquatic environments. Every year the United States Lifesaving Association holds tournaments where these rescuers can compete against each other in a variety of different events to show that they are the best at what we do. In 2015 we claimed 3rd place overall in our South Atlantic Region, 4th in 2016, 2nd in 2017, 3rd in 2018 and this year we feel that we have one of our best teams yet and we are hoping to take our team of approximately 20 guards to Jacksonville, FL to compete on July 14th and 15th.
In 2020 - we formally created a 501(c)3 NonProfit Organization called the Charleston County Lifesaving Association (CCLA) and have invited all interested lifeguards, past and present, to become members. We have a great community here in Charleston and many of our members have already stepped up and offered their time and talents to get us ready for the competition. Through memberships, donations, and sponsorships, the CCLA has committed to helping the competition team be as successful as possible this year.
Since the CCLA is still new - we don’t have an in-house platform for online donations, so we are using GoFundMe as a simple solution for all those interested in being a part of the “team” by making a contribution online. Direct donations can be accepted by mailing a check to: 1 Tuder Place Charleston, SC 29407 with “2021 Competition” in the memo line, or sending a Venmo payment to: @Chas-Co-lifesaving. All gifts are tax deductible.
Gifts made through GoFundMe will be used entirely for competition costs, such as: registration, equipment, travel expenses, and even uniforms. The Team members are all taking time off from work to go represent Charleston but many of the them are high school and college students, so the more help we can get from the public the more ready for competition we can be and the better we can represent our home!
We feel that this competition is a great opportunity for us to go out into the international lifesaving community and to show that not only is Charleston the most beautiful area in the country, but it's also the safest. Please, if you are interested and able, consider helping your local lifeguards. Whether it's a couple of pennies or a penny's weight in gold (optimistically), every little bit is a huge help. We have dedicated our lives to saving others - how cool would it feel to say that for once it was you who saved us?
