OAKLAND - Camp Manitou's first annual Swim-a-Thon is off to a success, with more than 13,000 laps completed during its first two weeks.

Manitou campers and staff are swimming to raise money for The Manitou Experience (manitouexperience.org), a one-week, nonprofit camp that serves boys who have suffered loss. The Manitou Experience's inaugural session is scheduled for Aug. 23-27, 2009.

Swim-a-thon participants solicit pledges from family and friends. Pledges are typically either a flat amount or based upon laps swum. Swimmers have until the end of the camp season to accumulate laps.

Participants can swim, run or walk their laps.

Swim-a-thon organizers originally targeted 20,000 lengths as an ambitious goal, but after a great start, they have upped their goal to 35,000 lengths. As of Friday, campers and staff had accumulated 13,335 lengths.