24th Annual SWIM Across The Sound Marathon

Set For August 6

BRIDGEPORT — If it’s summer, it must be time for the SWIM Across the Sound Marathon. Swimmers and supporters will come together on Saturday, August 6, for this annual fundraiser. Approximately 250 swimmers accompanied by a fleet of 100 boats will launch off Danford’s Marina in Port Jefferson, N.Y., at 8:30 am, starting the 26 kilometer (15.5 mile) journey across the Long Island Sound to Captain’s Cove Seaport in Bridgeport.

This year’s marathon is being dedicated to Maura Marden, an inspirational athlete who succumbed to cancer in September 2010. According to organizers, Ms Marden embodied the grit and stamina of marathon swimmers when she swam 15-minute legs in the 2010 Marathon on August 7 despite being in the midst of a losing battle with cancer.

As part of Team Pride II, which included her three sons, family friend Andy Davis, her oncologist Dr Neil Fischbach, and her husband Bill as team captain, Maura’s team finished eighth overall and received the top fundraising award.

The field in 2011 will consist of four categories: Solo Swimmer, Two-person Relay, Team Relays, and University Challenge Team Relays. The University Challenge was added last year to drum up friendly competition between college students and alumni. Last year Springfield College, Fairfield University, Fairfield University Alumni, Dartmouth, and University of Connecticut competed, with Springfield winning the college challenge.

The SWIM marathon started in 1987, when a lone swimmer named Jeffrey Keith, who had lost part of his leg to cancer, swam across the sound with friend Matthew Vossler and raised $5,000 for the cancer charity. Since then the marathon has grown into a yearlong series of events, which has raised millions, $2.6 million in 2010 alone.

Sponsored by St Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation, the SWIM raises funds to provide financial assistance, support and care for the needs that health insurance companies do not cover. The SWIM provides cancer screenings at low- or no-cost to the uninsured and underinsured and helps cancer patients and their families through free support groups, wigs, prostheses, and financial assistance with medications, transportation, daycare, utilities, mortgages, and more.

Each team relay is required to raise a minimum of $7,500, two-person relays are required to raise a minimum of $3,500 and solo swimmers a minimum of $1,500.

Members of the public are invited to come down to Captain’s Cove, One Bostwick Avenue in the historic Black Rock section of Bridgeport, and cheer the swimmers on as they finish this unique event. The maritime amusement center will be alive with music, entertainment, and vendor booths. The boardwalk shops and restaurant will be open, too.

The fastest swimmers are expected to start to cross the finish line at approximately 2:30 pm, depending on the weather. A majority of the swimmers are expected to finish around 4:30 pm. An awards ceremony for all swimmers and boat captains will be held at approximately 7 pm, after all the swimmers have finished.

For more information about St Vincent’s SWIM Marathon, call St Vincent’s Foundation at 203/576-5451 or visit https://give.stvincents.org/netcommunity/marathon2011.