Women Swimmin' for Hospicare

After experiencing the wonderful services provided by Hospicare this year during Mary Ellen's time there, it was an easy decision to get involved again after taking several years off from kayaking as support for Women Swimmin'.  The event is the major fundraiser for them, approximately 350 women swim across Cayuga Lake and get pledges.  To make sure no one gets into trouble during the 1.2 mile swim 400' above the bottom of the lake there is a boater for about every two swimmers.
Normally a dinner cruise boat takes the swimmers across the lake and they swim back, but it was out of commission this year so swimmers left from a dock at the Ithaca Yacht Club, went out to the middle and back.  They started lining up before dawn and the first group, or pod, was in the water at sunrise.
It was a very emotional day.  Thanks to everyone who made a donation to Gail's fundraising efforts in Mary Ellen's memory, perhaps they now have funds to remodel a bathroom with a shower residents can simply be wheeled into.  I borrowed a kayak from a friend who I had kayaked with for the first couple events, but his wife died a few weeks after Mary Ellen and it was just too raw for him to participate this year.