Larchmonters Swim Sound to Fight Cancer

more than $565,000 raised

by John Spollen

(July 12, 2003) As dawn broke at the Larchmont Yacht Club on Saturday, a parade of vehicles began to arrive transporting swimmers, boaters and kayakers to participate in the 11th annual Swim Across the Long Island Sound. Affiliated with the national non-profit group Swim Across America, the event is held each year to raise money in the fight against cancer. The participants were welcomed by a team of volunteers, including Larchmonter Annie Glennon and Tim Regan, who now lives in San Diego. He returns each year to swim as well as support the swimmers.

“We gather here to register those participating and to ferry them across the Sound,” said Regan. “Boats provided by members of local beach and yacht clubs drop the swimmers and kayakers off the coast of Sands Point where the four-mile swim begins.” There were other boats which transported swimmers to the starting point for the one-mile swim.

For the first time this year, there was a half-mile swim to shore. Tony Sibio, chair of the Long Island Sound event, said, “There is a massive organizational effort to ferry the swimmers and the kayakers together with their kayaks across the Sound. More importantly we have to ensure that everyone is properly registered so that we can account for each of the swimmers at the end of the swim.”

Among the key committee members are long-time Larchmont residents Biffy and Walt Halliday. “Safety is a key consideration,” noted Biffy. “Each of the four-mile swimmers must be certified by a pool director or lifeguard as being capable of swimming one mile in 30 minutes.” In addition, this year as a result of the long, cold spring and concern for low water temperatures, four-mile swimmers were required to wear wet suits.

Each swimmer is requested to raise at least $500 as his/her entry fee for the event. Also many families and friends organize special dedication teams in memory of loved ones who lost their lives to cancer. Approximately 90 cents of every dollar raised is donated to groups engaged in cancer research and family support. Since its inception, the Long Island Swim has raised over $2.5 million for lower Westchester’s Cancer Support Team as well as the Tommy Palazzo Fellowship for Pediatric Oncology Research at Children’s Hospital at New York-Presbyterian (Blood and Marrow Transplantation), and the Swim Across America Research Laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Event founder Josh Glantz

Swimming on Saturday was Josh Glantz, one of the original founders of the Long Island Swim. “My brother Jeremy and I were coaches of the Larchmont Yacht Club swim team in 1992, and a number of members thought it would be great if we could swim to Long Island,” said Josh. “I then made contact with the national group Swim Across America and launched our first swim. With the permission of Larchmonter Frank Webers and his family we dedicated the swim to Kathy Webers, who had recently lost her battle with cancer.”

There were twelve swimmers in 1992 who each swam the four miles. Approximately $12,000 was raised. “This year we have 336 swimmers and 84 of them are swimming the four miles,” said Frank Webers. “I am pleased that the Swim continues to be dedicated to Kathy and very proud of my family members who are swimming today.”

Larchmonters Phyllis and Dick McCauley and family

At 6 a.m., volunteers served a light breakfast of coffee, bagels, muffins and bananas. Shortly after 7 a.m., the swimmers and kayakers began to board the boats for their trip across the Sound. There was a great sense of anticipation as well as a little anxiety.

Larchmont residents Phyllis and Dick McCauley had their life vests on and were preparing to board the boats for their four-mile kayak trip when Phyllis said a little nervously, “I hope we all make it back safely.” Phyllis and Dick, who are in their seventies, were more concerned than others since they had two children and five grandchildren swimming that day. They were all part of Team Clare which swam in memory of Clare Joyce.

Kendra Murray, Meghan Flynn, Ryan Jennings of Team Tom

The younger crowd was less concerned, evidenced by the early morning enthusiasm of Kendra Murray and the other members of Team Tom, which swam in memory of Murray's father, long-time New Rochelle resident Tom Murray, who lost his life to cancer last year.

Swimmers were surrounded by a fleet of kayaks and boats to protect them from other boaters on the Sound. “It wasn’t like this 11 years ago,” said Frank Webers. “The swimmers did not have all the protection which is now provided by the local harbor patrols and the Larchmont/Mamaroneck VAC and EMS as well as the Coast Guard Auxiliary.”

As was the case last year, Boston College junior Tim Tully lead the swimmers to shore. Tim, a New Rochelle resident, swam on Team Leahy in memory of Tom Leahy. No awards are given for this accomplishment since the Larchmont swim is not run as a race. Swimming “to remember the cause” is one of the mottos of the Long Island Sound Swim. Not far behind Tim were members of the Payne family from Larchmont who were swimming for Team Reilly in memory of John Reilly King, as well as members of Team Bob in memory of Larchmonter Bob Mitchell. Eighteen teams participated this year in addition to the individual swimmers.

Crowd welcomes swimmers and paddlers to Shore Club beach

As each swimmer approached the Larchmont Shore Club beach, they were greeted by cheers as well as volunteers who were prepared to render assistance to anyone needing it. “The Sound was great to swim in this year,” said Peter Bowden, who was participating in his fifth swim. “The water was not that cold and it got a little choppy but otherwise it was fine.” Asked what it was like as they neared the shore, Peter remarked, “You never really let up until your knuckles scrape the sand, and then you know that you can finally stand. You have these mixed feelings of elation and exhaustion."

Among the kayakers again this year was Lenny from Long Island. For almost ten years Lenny kayaked from the Long Island shore to meet the other kayakers and then after he reached Larchmont he would turn around and make his return trip to Long Island. Lenny, who is 84, was not expected this year since he is fighting cancer himself, but at the last minute he decided to join the kayakers. Modifying his routine, Lenny joined the group in Larchmont and was ferried out to the drop off point.

With sirens and horns blaring for the last swimmer to reach shore, swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers gathered on the Larchmont Shore Club lawn to greet each other, renew friendships and enjoy food and refreshment. “We are prepared to serve 800 people today” reported Rita McCready, clubhouse manager for the Shore Club. “We are more relaxed this year. Last year our power was knocked out by storms the night before the swim. We had to prepare and serve the food without electricity.”

As the event drew to a close, it was announced that this year’s swim raised over $565,000, a record amount.

The next event will be a pool swim on Saturday, July 19 at Orienta Beach Club. For more information log onto the Swim Across America website, http://www.swimacrossamerica.org, and look for the details for the Long Island Sound event

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