6,644 -- This is the number of laps that students, teachers, parents, staff members and friends of the Eurocampus community were able to swim in the pool from January 25, 12:00 to January 26, 12:00.
Oh, and how they swam. Everyone was eager to make as many laps as they could, because for each lap made, dozens of sponsors pledged to donate a certain amount for charity, specifically to Children of the Dump Manila, an organization dedicated to improve the lives of children living in and around the largest dumpsites in Metro Manila.
In the end, each lap was worth PHP 59.00 in pledges -- multiplied by the number of laps made, that's a whopping PHP 391,996. Even then, some parents and other community members still offered one-off donations, with one very generous donor offering to match the total amount raised!
However great these figures are, one other very real success of the event could not be counted in terms of money or laps or hours. In the span of time that the people swam in the pool or watched along the sidelines cheering, this much was clear: we were one community working towards one goal.
GESM or LFM, English section or German section, local or foreign, we were connected in a spirit of togetherness that embodied the reasons we gathered together in the first place: To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the momentous Élysée Treaty, and the 30th school year of our beloved Eurocampus Manila.
The 24-Hour Swimming Challenge was organized by the teachers and staff members of both GESM and LFM and was the brainchild of sports teacher Florian Simmelbauer. Thank you to all those who participated!