fundraiser

Miles 4 Michelle Raises Over $3000

Contributed by Alyssa Farnsworth, Event Director

LANCASTER, MA -- The 4th Annual Miles 4 Michelle, hosted by Worcester Area Masters, was held at Fort Pond on July 22nd. We had a great turnout this year! Over 60 swimmers participated, supported by many volunteers, family, and friends. We asked that everyone bring a little breakfast item, so we had plenty of food and drinks for after.

Every year, Cathrine Thibault and her amazing staff from Compassion Massage Therapeutic Clinic in Leominster, MA are there to give the swimmers post-race massages. We also had many awesome raffle prizes, including a one hour massage from Compassion Massage and gift certificates from the Claw Shop in Leominster, Sneakerama in Worcester, and Slate Bar and Grill in Leominster, to name just a few!

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It was just an amazing day to bring everyone together -- those that knew Michelle and those that just know her story. I look forward to this event every year because I know Michelle is not forgotten and never will be. We were able to raise over $3,000 to go towards the Michelle Farnsworth Scholarship Fund. We hope to continue this event for years to come! Please keep an eye out for next year's date. 

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Swim With A Mission A Huge Success

Contributed by Stacy Sweetser, Sweetwater Swim Studio

BRISTOL, NH -- The inaugural Swim With A Mission (SWAM) took place Friday, July 14, 2017 in Newfound Lake at Wellington State Park. The 5K, 10K and 10-Mile Relay events fundraised for the Navy SEAL Museum, Veteran’s Count, and Bridge House Homeless Shelter and Veteran’s Advocacy organization. The event was well attended with over 100 swimmers, dozens of volunteers on land and water, and spectators galore.

Navy Seals lined the beach as twenty-eight 5K swimmers took to the crystal clear water of Newfound Lake at 7:00am. Ten minutes later, nineteen 10K swimmers followed. The sixteen relay teams (2-5 swimmers) had a staggered start at 7:20am for their 10-mile swimming journey around the lake.

Crowds of spectators filled the State Park for a post swim festival. Spectators were able to get up close and personal for the beach swim finish and watch various Navy SEAL demonstrations in air, on water, and on land with their K-9 squad. Veteran George Brunstad, a B-52 bomber pilot and renowned open water swimmer, attended as a special guest.

 

RESULTS

5K

Female

Taylor Hough, age 14 of Laconia, NH, took the women's title with a time of 1:24:57. Aubrey Patrick, age 15 of Bedford, NH finished 2nd and Sarah Barrett, age 22 of Goffstown, NH finished 3rd.

Male

Edmund Gendreau (GBM), age 55 of Rye NH, won with a time of 1:14:58. He received a special award for fastest 5K in honor of SCPO Daniel R. Healy, Navy SEAL. Bruce Mohl, age 71 of Bonita Springs, FL finished 2nd and Jeff Stuart, age 56 of Manchester, CT finished 3rd.

10K

Female

Vera Rivard, age 13 of Springfield, NH with a time of 2:42:32. Jana Slezak, age 52 of Rye, NH finished 2nd and Nelle Killourie, age 44 of North Conway, NH finished 3rd.

 

Male

Connor Robinson, age 19 of Wallingford, CT, placed first with a time of 2:08:36. He received a special award in honor of Jeremiah Fitzgibbon, world-class swimmer/triathlete, for fastest 10K. Geoffrey Michaud, age 52 of Manchester, CT finished 2nd and Maury Mckinney, age 56 of North Conway, NH finished 3rd.

10 Mile Relay

The winning relay team, Team SweetWater Swim Studio

Team SweetWater Swim Studio (SWS/GSP), which consisted of Stacy Sweetser, Randy Clark, Karin Biskovich, Johanna Lawrence, and Rebecca Hecox, took the team title with a time of 4:01:38. Team Connection placed 2nd and Team Tools placed 3rd.

SWAM website

 SWAM Facebook

Union Leader Article

Swim Across America Boston Harbor Raises Over $220,000 for Cancer Research

Results     Photos

 Contributed by Jessica Stokes, Charles River Masters

The 21st Annual Swim Across America Boston Harbor Swim was a big success! Spirits were high among the passengers on Timeless and Secret Love, despite the overcast sky. Team members were able to jump off their boats and complete three or four 15-minute swims in the Harbor. (Usually, swimmers swim four to six times, but there was a delay in the action this year due to fog.) Team members included seven Olympians: Carlton Brunner, Janel Jorgenson, Kristy Kowal, Alex Meyer, Heather Petri, Eric Vendt, and Eric Wunderlich. The Boston Harbor Swim and the Boston Pool Relay (which took place in April) raised a combined $325,000 for Dana Farber Cancer Institute's Perini Center and Mass General Hospital for Children's cancer research group.