Swim for Life raises $200K.

The magic of the Swim is still in the air in Provincetown, even as the rain falls and the seasons begin to turn. The stars aligned for us with a Harvest Moon, calm (but chilly) waters, and bright blue skies. Kudos to all of the swimmers, kayakers, volunteers and our spirited community.

An estimated $200K was raised to date and funds are still arriving! That's fantastic!

The excitement at the big white tent was nonstop, from registration of all our longtime friends to the return of the Wellesley High School girls’ swim team and the new young kayakers from Provincetown Schools and Sea Scouts. Blue Monkey Cafe & Bistro provided nourisment for the swimmers and the Funk Bus transported swimmers to the Harbor and Breakwater Hotels’ beach for the exciting start.

The tent and shore at Cannery Wharf Park were abuzz with swimmers as they arrived to the fabulous sounds of Zoe Lewis and friends while the crowd enjoyed the delicious spread laid out for the Mermaid Brunch by our friends at Far Land Provisions. We were pleased to award Lori Meads, CEO of Seamens Bank, with the David Asher Volunteer Award and to remember and honor our longtime Swim supporter and board member of the Provincetown Community Compact, the late Arthur Richter, with his family present.

Another thrilling element was the number of public and private Watch Parties on the shoreline swim route, with public gatherings at the Cape Codder Guest House and St. Mary of the Harbor.

A total 235 swimmers swam in Provincetown Harbor, 31 in Great Pond, Wellfleet and 21 Swimming in Place around the country, including Connecticut, California, Vermont. We had 80 kayakers, a phenomenal number, many with free loans from Provincetown Aquasports. We are proud of the “Rock Star” kayakers who guarded swimmers from swimming into the rock groins.

A special thanks to our dedicated volunteers who seamlessly held us all together! Thank you.

There were 28 swimmers who raised a thousand dollars or more, joining the $1,000 Club, including the top 12 fundraisers:

Ken Fulk & Gail Strickland, $33,717.42, Provincetown MA
Jonathan Scott, $15,645.40, Provincetown MA
Jim Youngerman, $10,085, Lenox, MA
Brian Sarr, $6,415.83, Bedford MA
Ed Macri, $5,831.99, Provincetown MA
Chris Nagle, $3,945.21, North Truro MA
Andrea Ricker, $3,735.14, Provincetown MA
Kevin Batt, $3,523.88, Jamaica Plain MA
Maura Twomey, $3,099.48, Jamaica Plain MA
Hunter Gaiotti, $3,046.31, Provincetown MA
Sam Alberts, $2,883.71, Provincetown MA
Jane Barber, $2,500, Provincetown MA
Dana Watnick, $2,412.40, New Rochelle, NY
Amy K Graves, $2,378.03, North Truro, MA
Shelley Vermilya, $2,181.12, Plainfield VT
Gene Landis, $2,077.50, Amesbury, MA

Other $1000 Club members in 2022 are:
Jeff, Alice & Abby Walker, Nancy Kates, Peter Shearer, Liz Carney, George Stamides, Lisa Zraket, Hara Klein, Loren Shure, Mark Ault, Douglas Zaleski, Karen Friedman, Boe Morgan, Joe Stewart, Helena Pabot, Valerie Shulock, Bill Silvestri, Joan Nagle, Hedda Rublin, William Lawson, Jim Seligman, Timothy Schirmang, James Hawley, Laurie M Shields, Pam Golden, Michael Comey, John Cook, Marjorie Safran

We had many Swim Teams: 
Team Gebhardt, Janet Villas and Linda Heard, Les Schwimmers - In memory of Bianca, Moving Violations Motorcycle Club, Ptown Pedicab, Team Gebhardt, The Lily House, Wellfleet Great Pond Mermaids, Willapalooza Swim Team, Provincetown Part-Time Resident Taxpayers Association, Wellesley High School Girls Swim Team

And the effort goes to support our important beneficiaries:
AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Woman, Outer Cape Health Services, Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, Lower Cape Ambulance, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Accessible Provincetown, The Compact Community Fund, Cod Children’s Place, Provincetown Schools, West End Racing Club, Native Lands Conservancy

Thanks to our business sponsors:
Seamen's Bank Long Point Charitable Foundation, Far Land Provisions, WOMR 92.1, Town of Provincetown, Cape Air, Cranberry Square Dermatology, PC, Fanizzi's Restaurant By The Sea, Provincetown Aquasports, The Palette Fund, Arthur Platt Insurance Trust, Cape Cod Five, Masthead Cottages & Motel, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Berta Walker Gallery, Bay State Cruise, Crown & Anchor, Art’s Dune Tours, Premier Real Estate, Boatslip Resort & Beach Club, M. A. Frazier Disposal Co.

We’ll see you all next year on September 9th, 2023 for the 36th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla!

Peace, Jay