Women Swimmin’ 2016
The 13th Annual Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare took place on Saturday, August 13, 2016—and luck was smiling down on us! The morning was warm and muggy, but rains held off until late in the day and the lake was calm for our swimmers. After gathering at Cass Park Rink at dawn, 320 swimmers took buses to the east shore so they could wade into Cayuga Lake and swim across to the Ithaca Yacht Club. The women were escorted by 170 boaters and cheered on by two volunteers floating near the east shore in a giant inflatable ducky and a flamingo. As the swimmers emerged from the lake, their friends, family members and hundreds of people from the community were there to greet them and celebrate their success.
Again this year, addit
ional swimmers participated in Women Swimmin’ Laps for Hospicare, swimming a distance they chose, in the pool of their choice with a certified lifeguard. Nineteen swimmers took part in Women Swimmin’ Laps and their combined goals totaled more than 200 miles. Several of our Laps swimmers were on-hand at Cass Park or the Ithaca Yacht Club to cheer on their lake swimmin’ sisters.
We wish to thank everyone who gave their time, talents and money to support this event, including about 140 volunteers who provided support on shore and in the days leading up to the swim. We also extend a special thanks to our corporate sponsors. They covered all event expenses, so that the money raised by swimmers and boaters will go toward patient and family services. Their generosity, and the generosity of all our event donors and supporters, allows us to keep our promise to provide end-of-life care and bereavement support to anyone in our community who needs our help.