By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Returning for the 25th Anniversary, the Friends of Farm Pond hosted their perimeter swim on Saturday, September 7th. Despite the faint chill in the air, the weather could not have been more perfect for this non-competitive 1.6 mile swim.
Registration began at eight am while the swim started right around 8:30 am. They had a record breaking year with over 55 swimmers partaking in the event. As everyone checked in, they were given free t-shirts and swim caps.
Dave Reavill, organizer of this perimeter swim, was seen bright and early helping to set up and meet with the multiple volunteers. When talking with him about this event, he explained that it has become a true fan favorite and ultimately a great way to fundraise to support the pond. “We originally started this back in the 1990’s,” Reavill stated, “as a marathon and then switched it over to a perimeter swim. It is a great fundraising event for Farm Pond. We do multiple fundraising events including a beach cleanup and of course, the sand castle contest. For this event specifically, we love to hand out the t-shirts as a memento and see people wear them throughout the year. We also continuously do the perimeter swim in the first week of September since it really seems to work for everybody. Too early and people bring their kids to college. Too late and soccer season has started. So we want to continue this tradition each year around this time.”
As participants got ready for their swim, many could be seen on the beach putting on their wetsuits and getting some stretches in. Volunteers were seen out in the water either in kayaks, boats and/or paddle-boards.
Before stepping foot in the water, swimmers lined up in the middle of the beach to hear Reavill give a short speech. He thanked all of them for their continued support and contribution to not only this event but also to Farm Pond as a whole. He additionally thanked all the volunteers for their time and hard work.
Reavill further detailed the specifics of the swim stating that it was not a race, there were yellow buoys set around the perimeter to guide their swim and if anyone was in distress, get to shallow water and volunteers would be there to assist them. As an added safety precaution, Reavill counted all individuals partaking in the swim both before and after the race to make sure nobody was left behind.
With this, participants entered the water and were off. Volunteers followed close by as family members and loved ones gathered on the beach to cheer everyone on. It can be said with ease that this 25th Anniversary perimeter swim of Farm Pond was a major success with an extraordinary number of participants. All are hopeful for the same great turnout and weather this time next year.
