Portland's "Open Water Swim Abassadors"

The River Hugger Swim Team "the Huggers" is a program of the not for profit organization Human Access Project. Human Access Project's mission is Transforming Portland's Relathionship with the Willamette River. Huggers first swam as a group in 2011, it's founder Willie Levenson refers to it as "a recreational protest swim, bringing attention to the extreme deficit of water edge access in Portland". People swim for different reasons but the "Huggers" are a great combination of community, activism and recreation.

In July of 2018, a Mayoral proclamation was issued approving the “HAP River Huggers Swim Team as the City of Portland’s ambassadors for open water swimming safety and Official Open Water Swim Team.” In addition, July 11th was named River Hugger Swim Team Day in recognition of the work of the Human Access Project.