16th Annual Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare

Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare is a community swim—not a race—that raises money in support of Hospicare & Palliative Care Services. At dawn on a Saturday in August, more than 300 women will leave the east shore of Cayuga Lake and swim west to the Ithaca Yacht Club (a distance of 1.2 miles). Nearly 200 boaters will escort them along the way and about 150 volunteer support them on shore. Lake swimming not for you? Women Swimmin’ Laps is an opportunity for women who aren’t able to participate in the Lake swim, to swim any distance they choose, in any pool with a certified lifeguard to fundraise for Hospicare.

Women Swimmin’ is truly a community event! We invite you to visit our website and get involved in a number of ways:

• Swim across the Lake! Registration for the Lake Swim opens on a Monday morning in May.
• Swim Laps in a pool! Registration for Laps Swimmers opens on March 15 and remains open until the day of the Lake swim.
• Boat and play a vital role in supporting all the swimmers on the Lake! Registration for Boaters opens in April and remains open until the week before the Lake swim.
• Volunteer to help out before the event or on shore! We rely on about 150 volunteers to keep everything running swimmingly.
• Support Women Swimmin’ by donating to a particular swimmer or team of swimmers, by liking us on Facebook, and telling your friends about Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare.

Women Swimmin’ was born out of a conversation between an Ithaca woman looking for a unique activity to mark her 60th birthday and her primary care physician. They decided to recruit other women swimmers and boaters to escort them as they swim across Cayuga Lake, while raising funds for Hospicare. Women Swimmin’ has grown to become the largest fundraiser for Hospicare and a meaningful event throughout the Ithaca community.

Whether the women are swimmin’ in a pool or across Cayuga Lake, the funds they raise go directly to support Hospicare’s work in our community. Through the incredible generosity of our friends and neighbors, who recognize the importance of our mission, we are able to bring medical expertise and compassionate care to all those in Tompkins & Cortland counties who are facing the end of life, as well as support, comfort and guidance for their family members, regardless of their ability to pay. The money raised through Women Swimmin’ also allows us to provide bereavement services to patients’ family members and others in our community who are grieving a loss.

To learn more about Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare, including how you can swim, boat, volunteer or donate in support of this event, please visit womenswimmin.org.

If you are interested in supporting the Swim by becoming a corporate sponsor, please contact info@womenswimmin.org