Dubbed Australia's biggest swim, each year the swimathon encourages people of all ages and abilities to dive in and swim laps to help prevent drowning incidents from occurring across the nation.

All money raised from the Australia-wide swimathon, including from the three events in Port Stephens, will go towards giving people the chance to learn to swim plus water safety skills.

Nakittah, a member of the Raymond Terrace Swimming Club, said she saw signs advertising the swimathon, one of which will be held at Lakeside Leisure Centre this Sunday.

"I wanted to get in and help," she said.

She hopes to raise as much as she can to go towards the centre's total goal of $15,897.

Raymond Terrace's swimathon will kick off at 10am. A fun day is planned around the pool including a taekwondo demonstration, cake stalls, a babies class and gymnastics routine.

On Wednesday, March 5, the Tilligerry Stingrays Swim Club will do its part for the swimathon during its regular meet night at the Tilligerry Aquatic Centre. All proceeds from the night, starting at 6pm, will go towards the swimathon.

Members of the public are encouraged to head to the Tanilba Bay pool to cheer swimmers completing their laps and donate to the cause.

The Tomaree Aquatic Centre has already run swimathon events with students from the Tomaree Education Centre, including its special education class, raising more than $1600 before its major swim on Sunday.