Rotary club swimathon report

PORTISHEAD ROTARY CLUB’S  SWIMATHON 2010

 

74 teams make a big splash for charity

By Miles Williams 

On Saturday afternoon Portishead Rotary Club held its14th swimathon at the Parish Wharf Leisure Centre.

The event was started by BBC Points West weathergirl and Portishead resident Gemma Cooper helped by carnival organsier Wendy Watkins who sounded the horn to start the first of eight sessions of 10 teams to swim for 35 minutes.

Teams were entered from schools, Guides, Brownies, Beavers, Scouts, Cubs, football clubs, Vale Vets and many other teams from various companies and organisations from around and outside the Portishead area.

The aim was to have lots of fun, which by the noise level everyone did and at the same time raise monies for charities. These charities were Cancer Research UK, CLIC Sargent (Caring for children and young people with cancer and their families), Muscular Dystrophy campaign, school projects, local groups and projects and charities as well as some charities chosen by the teams themselves.

Over the past 13 years the club had raised over £108,500.00, and hopes to achieve a total of over £115,000.00 as a result of the swimathon. 

As the afternoon passed by the noise at Parish Wharf Leisure Centre level grew louder as the teams battled it out to achieve as many lengths as possible.

 The ages of team members ranged from the youngest of five to the eldest of 87.

The team who achieved the most lengths, 120, was PAC TRI (Portishead and Clevedon Triathlon club).

A total of 5279 lengths were swum overall. At the end of the day all teams were winners.

The Rotary Club of Portishead wish to sincerely thank all those who took part including the sponsors, of which there were over 72, for their help in making the Swimathon a continuing success.

Thanks also to the manager and his team at the leisure centre who ensured everything went off well.