Team Ryan Automotive Sponsors Splash Dash 5K in Sugar Hill

A Cause Close to Home

As a mom with young sons who are still learning to swim, I know how quickly a fun afternoon at the pool can turn scary. Water safety isn't an abstract issue for our family. My husband, Dan, and I think about it every time the boys jump in, whether that's at a neighborhood pool or out at Lake Lanier, our local lake where we and plenty of other families spend time. That personal stake is part of why this sponsorship mattered so much to us. When AMS Pools invited local businesses to support Splash Dash, saying yes was easy.

AMS Pools has been a longtime Team Ryan customer, and they built this event around a mission we can stand behind fully: preventing drowning and making swim education accessible to more families across our area. The race benefited SwemKids and SwimSafe, two nonprofits approaching water safety from different but complementary angles.

SwemKids brings introductory swim lessons directly into schools, giving children in communities with the highest drowning rates a real chance to learn before they're ever alone near water. Each participant receives hours of free instruction from certified swim teachers, right as part of their school day. SwimSafe focuses on scholarships and financial assistance, so cost never keeps a family from getting their kids into lessons. Together, these two organizations are closing the gap between knowing how to swim and not knowing, which, as any parent will tell you, is the gap that matters most.

Race Day in Downtown Sugar Hill

I brought my two boys along to help represent Team Ryan at the event, and they took the job seriously. Ahead of race day, we put together 250 goodie bags stuffed with water bottles, coupons, magnets, and candy for the runners. On Saturday morning, we enjoyed meeting everyone that came out to the race and handed out water bottles to anyone that needed one after the run.

Downtown Sugar Hill turned out to be a perfect setting for a water safety fundraiser. The race started and finished near City Hall, with the Sugar Hill Splash Park just steps away once the running was done. After the race wrapped up, the Ryan boys enjoyed cooling off at the Splash Pad, and a few runners joined in for a quick refresh too.

A Strong Turnout for a Good Cause

AMS Pools did a great job making the race welcoming for every age group, with enough winner categories that runners of all ages had something to compete for. More than 250 people turned out on a Saturday morning to run, walk, and support the cause, and the fundraising totals reflected that community energy. Between sponsors, runners, and community support, the event raised roughly $6,000 total, with about $3,000 going to SwemKids and $3,000 to SwimSafe.

Before the race kicked off, I had the chance to present our sponsorship check to Chris, one of the owners of AMS Pools, in front of Sugar Hill City Hall. It's a small moment, but it's the kind of handshake that reminds you a sponsorship isn't just a line item. It's a relationship with people in this community who are working hard to keep families safe.

After the race, AMS Pools sent a note thanking sponsors for helping make the first Splash Dash 5K "one to remember," and for playing a part in "preventing drowning and making swim education more accessible" in our community. Most of that credit belongs to the runners, volunteers, and organizers who actually pulled it off. We're just glad we could help make it happen.

Why We Show Up for Sugar Hill

Team Ryan Automotive has served the Buford area since 2015, and this January we opened our newest location right here in Sugar Hill. Sponsorships like this one are part of how we try to give back beyond the shop. Our auto repair shop serving Sugar Hill and Suwanee is just a few miles from downtown, near Suwanee Town Center, and mornings like this one are a good reminder of how much is happening right in our own neighborhood, from local nonprofits doing life-saving work to city parks built for exactly this kind of community gathering.

If you're in the area, downtown Sugar Hill is worth a visit even outside of race day. The splash pad alone is a great way to cool off with kids on a hot Georgia afternoon, and the plaza around City Hall hosts events like this throughout the year. It's just a short drive from our shop near Suwanee Town Center, and it's become one of our favorite spots to spend time in the community we now call home.

This wasn't our first time putting our name behind a local cause, and it won't be our last. Splash Dash 5K just happened to hit close to home, literally and personally, and we're grateful AMS Pools gave us the chance to be part of it.

Congratulations to AMS Pools on a successful first Splash Dash 5K, and thank you to SwemKids and SwimSafe for the work you do every day to keep kids safer in the water. Team Ryan Automotive was proud to be part of it, and we're already looking forward to next year's race.