Team Ryan Automotive Sponsors Splash Dash 5K in Sugar Hill
On Saturday, August 8, 2026, downtown Sugar Hill turned into a sea of running shoes and green Team Ryan t-shirts. We were proud to sponsor the first annual Splash Dash 5K, donating $1,000 to support two nonprofits working to keep kids safer in the water. More than 250 runners showed up for the race, and the event raised approximately $6,000, with about $3,000 benefiting each organization.
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 a lake on vacation. 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, the boys spent hours handing those bags to runners as they crossed the finish line, along with cold water to help everyone cool down.
Watching two little guys in matching green Team Ryan hats hustle bottled water out to sweaty 5K finishers was one of my favorite parts of the whole event. They took pride in it, high-fiving runners and pointing out our banner to anyone who would look. It's the kind of morning that reminds you why we sponsor events like this in the first place.
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. A handful of runners cooled off in the splash pad fountains right after crossing the finish line, and once our goodie bag duty wrapped up, I let the boys do the same. There's something fitting about a water safety event ending with kids playing safely in the water, which is exactly the outcome SwemKids and SwimSafe work toward every day.
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 been part of the Sugar Hill community for years, and 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 sits close to downtown, 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 one of the reasons our Sugar Hill / Suwanee shop feels less like a business location and more like part of the neighborhood.
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.
