Swim for Life honors Madeline Miller

Provincetown Banner

From her volunteer work with Danny Kaye at St. Jude’s Hospital to

bartending in Las Vegas, Madeline Miller has served and served up the

community with passion and an inimitable grin. A self-proclaimed

idealist from a large family of eight children of Romanian and

Scotch/Irish stock from Westchester County, New York, she sought out

those in need wherever her itinerant journey took her. While at Ohio

State University in Columbus, where she majored in English, she

volunteered for the Ronald McDonald House and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Fortunately for the Lower Cape community, she settled here in 1980 after

living in Miami, Ohio and Truro, and now resides in her family’s summer

homestead in Truro, which the family has owned since 1956, with her

husband, Dennis Clark. She lived in Provincetown for fourteen years,

where she raised her children Morgan and Casey, and served for six years

on the school committee and six years as a Girl Scout leader.

Madeline’s acumen with numbers, along with her bartending skills, have

provided her with a steady source of income. Over the years she has

worked for the Town of Truro, the Crown & Anchor, the Lobster Pot and

Simon’s Deli. Since 1997 she has worked full time at the AIDS Support

Group of Cape Cod, serving as Director of Finance. She has also served

as business manager of the Banner since 1995.

The second year of the Swim for Life David Asher asked her to volunteer

and she has participated at every event since. This year she is the

recipient of the Swim for Life’s David Asher Volunteer Award, which will

be presented to her at the Mermaid Brunch, following the Swim, on the

Boatslip deck. Thepublic is invited to the brunch, beginningat noon.

Madeline is being recognized for her years of service to the Swim for

Life and her work in the community, where she often volunteered quietly,

behind the scenes. She also donates her time to Helping Our Women and is

on the board of WOMR 92.1 FM radio, which will broadcast the event live,

and stream it online, from the Boatslip.

“The Swim represents the best qualities of the community,” she states.

“It’s inspiring to hear people’s stories and experience their

generosity, and passionate spirit — to connect with something larger

than ourselves,” she adds. For many years Madeline was the only

volunteer handling registration, collecting pledges and counting money —

all the time easing nervous swimmers with her infectious smile.

The Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, set for September 12, raised

$160,000 last year from over 300 swimmers and kayakers to benefit AIDS,

women’s health and the community. Business sponsors for 2009 to date

include: Provincetown Banner, Paul Mitchell, Boatslip Resort, Far Land

Provisions, White Porch Inn, Lobster ot Restaurant, Seamen's Bank and

Fanizzi's Restaurant. The event is also sponsored in part by the

Provincetown Tourism Fund.

This popular post-Labor Day celebration and quintessential community

event will be held at the Boatslip Resort, 161 Commercial Street, and

includes the Mermaid Brunch, entertainment and the awards ceremony. The

Celebration of Life Concert will be held at the Meeting House on Friday

evening. For the third year, local community radio station WOMR 92.1 FM

(www.womr.org) will broadcast the event live and online from the

Boatslip Resort, the beach and the starting line at Long Point.

For registration forms for swimmers, paddlers, security boaters,

volunteers and sponsorship opportunities, or to make a donation,

contact: Swim for Life, P.O. Box 819, Provincetown, MA 02657,

508-487-1930, email, thecompact@comcast.net, and at its website,