The Portland Bridge Swim doesn’t happen because of permits, buoys, or logistics.
It happens because people show up.
Every year, swimmers take on the Portland Bridge Swim. They swim not just for the challenge, but for the joy, the community, the celebration of Portland from the water itself. But none of it is possible without volunteers.
We need kayakers. We need check-in crews. We need safety spotters, finish-line cheerleaders, packet hands, setup crews, and the people who make exhausted swimmers feel like heroes when they climb out of the river.
Volunteering at the Bridge Swim isn’t just helping at an event. It’s becoming part of something uniquely Portland: a day where hundreds of people come together to reclaim the river with courage, laughter, grit, and community spirit.
If you’ve ever watched the swim and thought, “That looks incredible!" this is your invitation to be part of it.
The truth is simple: without volunteers, there is no Portland Bridge Swim.
Please join us. Bring your energy, your kindness, your weird Portland enthusiasm. Whether you can give two hours or the whole day, you will make a real difference.
