Humbled by the generosity of our Barron families, students and staff, we are excited to announce how much Barron Gymnastics, Barron Swim School – South County, and Barron Swim School – O’Fallon raised during this year’s Champions Against Cancer Campaign — $15,247! As a result, Barron has raised $91,339 for the Costas Center over the past nine years. We are so grateful!

At our swim schools, our swim teams and teachers poured their hearts and energy into swim-a-thons. At our gymnastics center, children attended a camp which our teachers donated 100% of their time. This large donation will be hand delivered by the Barron family to the Costas Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Hospital for children with cancer and blood disorders on behalf of our wonderful Barron community.

“Building Skills for Life” is a strong thread that runs through our culture at Barron Gymnastics and Barron Swim School. The lessons our students learn during the Champions Against Cancer Campaign each year aligns perfectly with our mission. Watching our athletes rally together to help other children is certainly love in action. The act of giving is one of the greatest skills that one could attain, and we are blown away each year by the big hearts of our young athletes and staff.

 

5 Benefits of Involving Your Child in Give Back Programs

1. Emotional Development – Getting children involved in charity or fundraising for those in need helps to gently expose them to the issues that others face. This act develops a sense of empathy and how listening to the needs of others can help. Simply showing up for one another is something that kids need more than ever these days. It is a reminder to children that together we can make a difference. Before we kicked off the events at the gym and swim schools, we spoke with the children about why we run this campaign, who it helps, and how special their donation was in helping those who need it most.
2. Leadership Skills – A big part of leading is the ability to motivate and to encourage others. This spirit specifically ran true during our team swim-a-thons. As the Barron swimmers worked towards their fundraising goals, they motivated one another and led others to meet their own goals. These goals held true meaning, as they swam laps for a worthy cause.
3. Character Building – Children who learn early that helping others makes a positive difference have better self-esteem. This provides a sense of purpose and meaning that they may not have had before. They positively reflect on their actions which makes them feel good about themselves. In addition, they tend not to judge other people as harshly as those who grow up without such lessons. While they may not actually walk in someone else’s shoes, they develop an understanding for others in need and have the character to help stand up for them.
4. Appreciation – Giving something up is an act of sacrifice. It helps us to appreciate what we have instead of taking things for granted. Each year, our team gymnasts choose to donate Christmas gifts to the children at the Costas Center rather than give them to one another. They collectively make the choice to give rather than to receive. This selfless act creates an appreciation for the things that they do have. It is true that “only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have”. These gifts will be donated at the same time as the monetary donation.
5. Empowerment – Fundraising gives children a sense of empowerment that they may have never felt before. While they may not have the monetary resources to bring about change, they can participate in the fundraising effort to gain the monetary needs to begin the process of change. They are able to see first-hand that they have the ability to make a positive change in their community and in the lives of other children.

Thank you to our students, families, and staff for showing up for the children at the Costas Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon hospital in St. Louis year after year. Our hearts grew 10 times bigger knowing that the children in our community are building such important skills for helping one another. There is great power in “kids helping kids”.

Together we are stronger. Together we are better. Together we can make a difference.