The Wardle Family YMCA will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Beaufort River Swim on Saturday, June 6, 2026, marking two decades of community impact through one of the region’s most meaningful events.

The race began with a simple idea from local Masters swimmer Chris Reed. That idea was brought to life by then YMCA board member Pete Palmer, with support from Beaufort-Jasper YMCA of the Lowcountry CEO, Michael Bostwick, and launched with a clear purpose: to fund the YMCA’s Learn to Swim program. After helping establish and grow the event in its early years, Palmer transitioned operations to the YMCA, where it continues to thrive today.

From an estimated 30 swimmers in its first year to 225 participants in 2025, the Beaufort River Swim has grown into a signature Lowcountry event, with its largest turnout expected this anniversary year. Participants can choose from a 3.2-mile swim, a one-mile swim, and an optional 5K run, all set along the scenic Beaufort River and finishing at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.

Proceeds directly support water safety in a coastal community where swimming is a critical life skill. In 2025, the Beaufort River Swim raised $28,400, contributing to $30,600 in scholarship assistance provided by the Wardle Family YMCA. That same year, the Y taught 955 local individuals to swim, including 288 who received free or reduced-cost lessons. For many families, those lessons are not just recreational, they are life-saving. For 20 years, the Beaufort River Swim has turned a community tradition into lasting impact, ensuring more children and families have the skills they need to be safe in and around the water.

Registration for the event will close at 8:00 PM on June 3, 2026. More information can be found at beaufort-jasperymca.org.

About the Y

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Across the U.S., 2,700 Y’s engage twenty-two million men, women, and children – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in more than 10,000 communities, the Y has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. beaufort-jasperymca.org