25th Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla

Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla celebrates its 25^th anniversary with a record-breaking event; 404 swimmers, 100+ boaters and 150 volunteers raise over $200,000 for AIDS, women’s health and the community; Joy Mc Nulty receives the David Asher Volunteer Award; Proclamations received from the Town of Provincetown and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts..PROVINCETOWN, MA. Celebrating its twenty-fifth year of fundraising for AIDS, women’s health and the community, the Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla had a record-breaking event last Saturday with 404 swimmers from as far away as Alaska, 100+ kayakers and boats on the water, and 150 volunteers. The oldest swimmer was Joan Nagel, 78, of Eastham, MA, and the youngest was Gabriella Martinez, 10, of Belchertown, MA. Over $200,000 was raised under breezy, sunny skies and choppy but warm water.The Celebration of Life Concert, the night before the Swim, produced by John Thomas, set a rousing and emotional tone for the weekend event, which benefits: the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, the Academy at Provincetown School and The Compact Community Fund.Business sponsors include: the Provincetown Banner, Boatslip Resort, Far Land Provisions, Fanazzi’s Restaurant, Seamen’s Bank, the Lobster Pot Restaurant, the Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club, Harbor Hotel and Marc Jacobs. The Swim is also funded in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund.Top fundraisers, once again, were Shawn McNulty, with Provincetown’s Team McNulty members Kirby Nichols and Alex Bryant, raising $22,000, and Joshua Dieffenbacher of Brooklyn, NY at $17,000.The annual David Asher Volunteer Award was presented to Joy McNulty, owner of the Lobster Pot Restaurant and longtime Swim for Life volunteer and sponsor, as well as a board member of several community organizations. Other highlights were the presentation of resolutions to Jay Critchley, Director of the Swim for Life and the Provincetown Community Compact, from the Town of Provincetown and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts honoring the event on it 25^th anniversary and Critchley for his community leadership and his contributions as a multi-media artist.Special handcrafted medallions by Christie Andresen were awarded to new Circle of Honor members - those who have swum ten times or raised $10,000. Awardees include: Joshua Dieffenbacher, Brooklyn, NY; Jim Chiudioni, Needham, MA; Claire Levine, Arlington, MA; Georgia Neill, North Truro, MA; Mark Bastian, Boston, MA; Joel Stahl, Larkspur, CA; Harry Arnini, West Hartford, CT; Sheilagh Mulderig, Roslindale, MA; Katie Quish, Hartford, CT; and Walter Greeley, Hyannis, MA.Water safety and medical support were provided by the event’s medical team, headed by George Libone, and the Provincetown Rescue Squad, Provincetown Harbormaster, Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, Cape Cod National Seashore and the US Coast Guard, along with the 100+ kayakers and safety boaters.The fastest swimmers across the 1.4-mile harbor were Craig Milan of Miami and Truro, MA at 31.03, and Katie McCully of Eastham, MA with a time of 31.03.The 26^th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla will be held on September 7, 2013. For more information go to www.swim4life.org or email at thecompact@comcast.net.

Swim25: Joy McNulty Can’t Say No

 “I’m just a girl who can’t say no,” from the musical Oklahoma, could be Joy McNulty’s mantra - not to be confused with Nancy Reagan’s Just Say No. No. “Yes” is what she got when she moved here 40 years ago, and yes is what she says when the community comes beckoning.It was 1972, as a corrections officer in New York state, that she said no to the conditions that spawned the infamous Attica prison riots, and moved to Provincetown with her four children and her partner’s three. Stan Sorrentino heard she could cook and asked her to run the Port-O Call Restaurant at the Crown & Anchor. Arthur Blake, beloved impersonator, was maitre d’. When the Lobster Pot went up for sale, Pat Shultz declared, “You’ve got to buy it, it’s got the view.”Sitting in her inauspicious office above the restaurant entrance with staff and family coming in and out, Joy talks about her extended family, which includes many longtime employees from Jamaica, and the community.“No where else could I have done this,” she exclaims in her signature expressive enthusiasm, and she is grateful. The fruits of the economic engine she built benefit an unending list of individuals and organizations, throwing benefits for numerous groups and causes. She has rightfully earned the title of Treasurer Extraordinaire, handling finances on the boards of Helping Our Women. Provincetown Art Association & Museum, Provincetown Theater and the Gay Roundup, which she helped organize 25 years ago.Joy is a longtime supporter of the Swim for Life, both as a volunteer and business sponsor, and will be presented with the David Asher Volunteer Award at the 25^th Swim for Life this Saturday. The awards ceremony is set for 1:00pm on the Boatslip deck. Her son Shawn, organizer of Team McNulty and a consistent top fundraiser, will also be on deck after his ninth consecutive Swim.The Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla weekend schedule also includes the Celebration of Life Concert, produced by John Thomas, at the Meeting House on Friday at 8:00pm; the Swim, which begins at Long Point at 10:30am; the public is invited to greet the swimmers and kayakers at the Boatslip beach finish line from 11:00am to 1:00pm, and partake of the Mermaid Brunch, with entertainment by Zoe Lewis. All events are free and open to the public.Sponsors of the event include: the Provincetown Banner, Boatslip Resort, Far Land Provisions, Fanazzi’s Restaurant, Seamen’s Bank, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Crown & Anchor, Mussel Beach Health Club, Harbor Hotel and Marc Jacobs. The Swim is also funded in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund.

Sunday Boston Globe 9-2-12

Sunday Boston Globe 9-2-12

Swim25: Symbiosis

“Living together of unlike organisms” is how one late 19^th century scientist described the natural process. It was a time when Provincetown prospered from its relationship to the sea, the height of global whaling, with dozens of wharves embraced by the circular sweep of the arms of the harbor. And many “unlike organisms” thrived. Provincetown was of the sea, by the sea and for the sea. This symbiotic identity - though transformed - remains. It is a multualistic ecological necessity. It’s symbiosis, Provincetown style.The upcoming Swim for Life - for the 25^th time - draws our attention back to the harbor waters and to our identity as an evolving community. What holds us together?The Swim for Life is a microcosm of this complex web we call community. It supports the crucial services of numerous organizations that directly affect the quality of life year round: AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, the Academy at Provincetown School and The Compact Community Fund.It relies on the unforgiving support of volunteers, the generous and courageous swimmers and kayakers, and the thousands of individuals who donate and pledge swimmers. And the business community.The Provincetown Banner and the Boatslip Resort have been our longest running sponsors, with others supporting us for many years: Far Land Provisions, Fanazzi’s Restaurant, Seamen’s Bank and the Lobster Pot Restaurant. Joining us again are the Crown & Anchor and Mussel Beach Health Club. We’d like to welcome new sponsors, the Harbor Hotel and Marc Jacobs. The Swim is also funded in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund.We also need to recognize the businesses that donate dozens of prizes for the top swimmer fundraisers. Top prizes so far this year include: two round trip Cape Air tickets, two VIP passes for the Provincetown International Film Festival and a week in San Miguel, Mexico.Swim25 t-shirts are available at downtown Seamen’s Bank, Venture Athletics, Harbor Hotel, Art House and the Aqua Bar at the Aquarium Mall.All events are free and open to the public: Friday, September 7, 1:00pm, swimmer orientation (optional); 2:00pm, kayaker orientation (optional), Boatslip beach; Celebration of Life Concert, 8:00pm, Meeting House, produced by John Thomas. Saturday, September 8, 8:30-10:00am, boater and kayaker registration, Boatslip Beach; 9:00-10:00am, swimmer registration, Boatslip deck; Swim starts at Long Point, 10:30am; the public greets swimmers at Boatslip, 11:30am-1:00pm; Mermaid Brunch, noon to 2:00pm; awards ceremony, 1:00pm (or after last swimmer arrives); music by Zoe Lewis.For swimmer, kayaker, volunteer and sponsorship information: www.swim4life.org, thecompact@comcast.org. The Provincetown Community Compact, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded by Jay Critchley in 1993 to enhance the well being of Provincetown and the Lower Cape, sponsors the event.Published in Provincetown Banner, 8-29-12

Swim25: 2,500 Prayer Ribbons

Like a migration of birds, once a year in the fall, brightly colored ribbons appear, at first unexpectedly. They flutter silently in the breeze, like birds on a wing, responding to the fluctuations of the wind - shiny and reflective. They are the Prayer Ribbons.Like the Swim for Life itself, the idea of the Prayer Ribbons was a response to the symbiotic relationship the town has to its harbor - its identity, sustenance, its calling. The Prayer Ribbons are a witness and a testament to the lure of the water, the power of its forces that have shaped the embrace of its arms. It brings us together. Come in, immerse yourself.For over twenty years, the ribbons have flown across Commercial Street, made their dramatic appearance at the Meeting House concert, lined the waterfront deck of the Boatslip, Swim headquarters, and featured at World AIDS Day at the State House. The idea is simple: honor someone in your life, both living and deceased. Remember and celebrate community.In commemoration of the 25^th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, all 2,500 ribbons will be exhibited on the front lawn of the Provincetown Public Library from Friday, August 24 through Monday, August 27. On Sunday, August 26 there will be a reading of all the ribbons from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm. It will be a quiet and meditative ceremony. The public is invited to participate by volunteering to read some of the ribbons, or just witness the event for any amount of time.Following the reading, a Swim 25 party will be held at Harbor Lounge, open to the public, where Circle of Honor and David Asher Volunteer Awardees and others will be recognized for their longtime commitment to this Provincetown tradition.The 25^th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla is set for Saturday, September 8. Sponsors to date include: the Provincetown Banner, Boatslip Resort, Seamen’s Bank, Far Land Provisions, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Harbor Hotel, Marc Jacobs, Mussel Beach Health Club and the Crown & Anchor.  The Swim is also funded in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund.For swimmer, kayaker, volunteer and sponsorship information: www.swim4life.org, thecompact@comcast.org. The Provincetown Community Compact, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded by Jay Critchley in 1993 to enhance the well being of Provincetown and the Lower Cape, sponsors the event. 

Swim25: After the Tsunami

State Troopers and their horses had left a couple of weeks before the 1989 Swim, invited to Town after an unmentionable sign in a quiet march for AIDS awareness sparked a tsunami in the community. The Carnival Parade was cancelled, but ACT UP members marched anyway. People were dying of AIDS. The fishing industry was in decline. Who are we as a community?September 9, 1989: It was a calm, sunny day. Eighty-nine swimmers were transported to Long Point for the 1.4-mile swim across the harbor. For the Swim start, I had fashioned the now signature flag from a found high flyer and attached red lamee flag material left over from a recent Old Glory Condom video shoot in the graveyard.Things were falling into place. We were now up on the expansive Boatslip deck, and local luminaries (and luminaries-to-be) took the plunge. Mary Jo Avellar, then Chair of the Provincetown Board of Selectmen and now Town Moderator finished last to thunderous applause (she was weighted down by a heavy diver’s wetsuit). This established the tradition of equal applause for all. Ryan Landry, trained by me, his swim coach, swam and raised ,580. “Before that I just paddled,” he was quoted in the Advocate. Our archives also list the much-loved seafarer Molly Benjamin who raised pledges, but did she swim?Another tradition begun the second year was the creation of teams of swimmers and supporters. The event is not a race but a personal challenge, and creative participation was encouraged. If you can’t do the full distance, team up with others. Remember Fat Jack’s (at Squealing Pig)? Their relay team included Laurie Macara, Steve Dueresne, Martin Hannigan and Yvonne McLean. And Team LeBlanc Relay included Rene LeBlanc, Jim Morgan and Chris Alverez.Of course we hadn’t fully arrived until the Surf Nurse made her dramatic entrance - wearing a fashionable bathing suit and cap and a nametag. Ready for duty, posing for her fans.The 25^th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla is set for Saturday, September 8 at the Boatslip Resort, where an awards ceremony and the Mermaid Brunch will be held after the Swim. Check out our new website, www.swim4life.org, with our exciting Flickr photo, YouTube and Facebook connections. Sponsors to date include: the Provincetown Banner, Boatslip Resort, Seamen’s Bank, Far Land Provisions, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Harbor Hotel, Crown & Anchor, Marc Jacobs and Mussel Beach. The Swim is also funded in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund.Beneficiaries include: the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, the Academy at Provincetown School and The Compact Community Fund.For swimmer, kayaker, volunteer and sponsorship information: www.swim4life.org, thecompact@comcast.org. The Provincetown Community Compact, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded by Jay Critchley in 1993 to enhance the well being of Provincetown and the Lower Cape, sponsors the event.

Eighteen Swimmers, Sept 11, 1988

Twenty-five years ago eighteen swimmers responded to an idea - swim across Provincetown Harbor to celebrate the heart of Provincetown and raise funds to fight a virulent virus called HIV. Sure there were stories of a couple of guys who had braved the crossing years ago, but there wasn’t much encouragement in 1988.Beaches along the East Coast were being closed for the first time because of the dumping of sewage and hospital wastes, but not in Provincetown Harbor. And HIV was running rampant in the community. These two factors brought together a group of determined swimmers who showed up on September 11, 1988 - adventurers seeking a way to respond to the sense of loss and mystery.The top fundraiser was Brian Neilson who raised ,055, the first person to join the ,000 Club. John Tom would be the first to swim ten times and join the Circle of Honor. Chuck Vetter showed up in a legendary sequined dress and a paper bag filled with bills totaling 1 - he died of AIDS shortly after. Funds were raised for Provincetown Positive/People with AIDS Coalition.There were no pledge sheets, liability release forms, Prayer Ribbons or a Mermaid Brunch. But our records are surprisingly intact. On a small sheet of paper from a notebook torn out at the top, volunteer Roger Beatty, with a fish box as a desk, wrote down the names of the swimmers with three columns each: collected, owes, total. Two people on the list collected pledges but didn’t swim: Rita Speicher and Jackie ?. Beth Barton raised 7 and Coleen Wheeler 6. Other swimmers included: Jay Critchley and Walter McLean, organizers; Mark Deane; Dr. Paula Sperry; Iris Sands; Suzanna Zimmet; Eleanor Pechet; David Sine; Jacynthe Tremblay; Bill Fry; Nancy O’Mara; N. Susan Culligan; and David Werner.Before the swim we huddled on the Boatslip Beach in a circle before swimming to Long Point. There was no one to greet us there and we had to flag down a couple boats for the ride back. I gave each person a souvenir I had made - a small clear bottle of salt water, sand, glitter and a small object I cannot remember. I’m hoping to find one of these relics.The 25^th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla will be held on Saturday, September 8 at the Boatslip Resort, where an awards ceremony and the Mermaid Brunch will be held after the Swim. Check out our new website, www.swim4life.org, with our exciting Flickr photo, YouTube and Facebook connections. Sponsors to date include: the Provincetown Banner, Boatslip Resort, Seamen’s Bank, Far Land Provisions and Fanizzi’s Restaurant.Beneficiaries include: the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, the Academy at Provincetown School and The Compact Community Fund.For swimmer, kayaker, volunteer and sponsorship information: www.swim4life.org, thecompact@comcast.org. The Provincetown Community Compact, a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded by Jay Critchley in 1993 to enhance the well being of Provincetown and the Lower Cape, sponsors the event.

Swim featured on NBC Ch10 in RI

The First Swim, 1988 (2012 design).The Swim was recently featured on NBC Ch10 in Providence, Rhode Island. Please share. Thanks, Jay 

2011 Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla attracts 397 swimmers and 75 kayakers; raises $200,000+

With a brisk northeast wind and chilly, choppy water, 397 swimmers from Australia to California - supported by 75 kayakers - crossed Provincetown Harbor to the Boatslip beach under sunny skies to raise funds for AIDS, women’s health and the community. An estimated 0,000 was raised in pledges, donations and t-shirt sales. It was the 24^th year for this post-Labor Day fundraiser, held on Saturday, September 10, and sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact (The Compact). The weekend kicked off with the 18^th annual Celebration of Life free concert on Friday evening, produced by John Thomas.Brian Cabral, a Provincetown native who has been on the board of The Compact and volunteered at the event for fifteen years, was honored with the David Asher Volunteer Award.  Special recognition was given to swimmers who have swum ten times - entering the Circle of Honor and receiving hand-crafted medallions by Kaolin Davis: Fran Quish, Hartford, CT, Lake Perriguey, Portland, OR, Herve Hamon, Norwalk, CT, Ave Gaffney, North Truro, MA, Jeff Fennelly, NYC, Pat Rooney, Philadelphia, PA, Terry Stangel, Jamaica Plain. MA, Gregg Stallings, Venice, CA, Anne Ford Critchley, Quechee, VT, Martha Hevenor, South Welfleet, MA.The top fundraiser once again was Provincetown’s Team McNulty -Sean McNulty and Kirby Nichols- raising $18,500, followed closely be Joshua Dieffenbacher from Brooklyn, NY at $17,500. Over thirty swimmers entered the $1,000 Club, receiving prizes from local businesses totaling $10,000, including a week in San Miguel, Mexico, VIP passes to the Provincetown Film Fest, Cape Air tickets and a Locman "Mare" Waterproof Watch. Provincetown Town Manager Sharon Lynn and Board of Selectman Chair Elaine Anderson presented the ribbons and prizes at the awards ceremony, along with Swim organizer Jay Critchley. The event included the Mermaid Brunch, catered by Far Land Provisions, with entertainment by Zoe Lewis.Fastest swimmers across the 1.4-mile distance were Craig Milan at 30:54 and Gabriella Kovachkora at 32:32. Lee Palmer from Sydney, Australia flew in for the weekend for his second Swim for Life.The event was assisted by the Provincetown Rescue Squad, Harbormaster, US Coast Guard, Center for Coastal Studies, and the National Seashore, along with Flyer’s Boat Rentals, Cee Jay, Viking Princess, Ptown Trolley and Cape Cab.The Swim for Life benefits the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, The Compact Fund, Safe Harbor AIDS documentary and the Academy at Provincetown Schools. Business sponsors are: Provincetown Banner, Boatslip Resort, Far Land Provisions, White Porch Inn, Seamen's Bank, Lobster Pot Restaurant and Fanizzi's Restaurant. The event is also sponsored in part by the Provincetown Tourism Fund.The 25^th annual Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla will be held Saturday, September 8, 2012.