On July 28, 2007, the families of the Haddontowne Swim Club will proudly serve as hosts of the 48th Annual Cherry Bowl swimming championships.  Over 750 top athletes and 2000 spectators will join us as the thirteen swim clubs of Cherry Hill come together for an exciting day of competition, sportsmanship and community.  To learn more about the history of the Cherry Bowl, click here.

Our theme – The Day Legends are Born – celebrates not only the achievements and traditions of the past, but also serves as a forward-looking reminder of all that is yet to come. We look forward to having you join us.

For the Complete Club Information Packet Click Here

Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

One of the main reasons the Cherry Bowl has become one of the east coast's largest outdoor community swimming events is because the business community has realized the mutual benefits that come from serving as a corporate sponsor. Cherry Bowl 2007 is proud to be sponsored by a wide variety of corporate sponsors including Commerce Bank & Danzeisen & Quigley.  For a full list of corporate sponsors of Cherry Bowl 2007, click here.  To learn more about becoming a Cherry Bowl 2007 sponsor, click here.

We encourage you to support all of Cherry Bowl 2007 sponsors. They have earned our respect and our continued support.

Volunteers

The Cherry Bowl has become one of Cherry Hill's most treasured traditions because of the hard work of hundreds of volunteers who work tirelessly to make the event a success. To become a Cherry Bowl 2007 volunteer, please e-mail Mark Oberstaedt.

Cherry Bowl Week 2007

This year, Cherry Bowl week will open with a first-ever Pep Rally for all thirteen clubs on Tuesday, July 24 at 6:00 at JR's Woodfire Grille.  Tickets will be available soon for this exciting new event which will feature a dinner buffet, drink specials, dancing, giveaways, and more. 

On Race Day, the gates will open at 7:00 a.m.  Opening ceremonies will commence at 10:00 a.m. with the first races set to begin shortly thereafter.  All of the Race Day details will be available at www.cherrybowl.org by July 15, 2007.

Cherry Bowl History

In August 1960, the swim clubs of Kingston Estates, Woodcrest, Barclay Farms, Hunt Tract and Downs Farm came together for a relatively modest swimming tournament. Little did those clubs know at the time that they were giving birth to what would become Cherry Hill’s most cherished annual tradition.

That first meet consisted of 49 swimming and diving events and the team from Woodcrest took home the inaugural title. The Cherry Bowl was born.

It did not take long for other clubs to recognize the significance of the Cherry Bowl. Just twelve years after it began, the Cherry Bowl almost tripled in size and brought together fourteen swim clubs, including all of the clubs that participate today.

Today, the Cherry Bowl boasts 750 top-level swimmers from thirteen clubs competing in 66 swimming events. The Race Day event annually draws 2000 spectators to a day-long celebration of sportsmanship, community and friendship. The Cherry Bowl has grown from its humble beginnings to one of the East Coast’s largest outdoor, community-based swimming events.

Beyond the athletic competition, the Cherry Bowl is truly an event like no other in Cherry Hill. In the days before the event, teams engage in good-natured fun with each other by leaving traditional “good luck” (or, sometimes, “not so good luck”) notes on the front walls of opposing clubs. Entire neighborhoods are transformed with posters and banners rooting on their favorite swimmers. The township roads become filled with cars displaying soaped-up windows bragging about their team’s chances at a title. Fans begin lining up at 6:00 a.m. to secure the best seats. When the teams emerge for the opening parade, dressed in costume and in full vocal cheer, there is no mistaking the importance of the day to the athletes, their families, and their community. After a year of waiting, the Cherry Bowl is here.

What makes the event even more special is the volunteer effort put in by countless club and community volunteers. By the time Race Day ends, several hundred volunteers will have given their time to organize, officiate, and feed the swimmers and their supporters. The financial support that the Cherry Bowl annually receives from the business community is not only critical to the success of the event itself, but also enables the clubs to continue Cherry Hill’s tradition of community-based swim clubs where families, children, adults, and seniors can enrich their health and their lives each summer.

For the Complete Club Information Packet Click Here