A charity swimming event staged at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre by the local branch the Rotary Club in March has raised thousands of pounds for good causes.
Seventy-five swimmers from fourteen teams were all out to challenge themselves in aid of Rotary charities such as Music Rules and charities or good causes of their own choosing by participating in the Rotary Club of Bristol Aztec’s ‘Swimathon’.
The aim of the Swimathon was for a group of swimmers, ranging from three to seven in number, to swim as many lengths as they could in fifty-five minutes. Although this was an event in which teams were not competing against one another, it was very clear that there was tremendous motivation by all the swimmers to do their very best, and the organisers and supporters were blown away by the level of commitment and the wonderful atmosphere of enjoyment and focus.
The age range of the competitors ranged from eight to sixty-nine; Swimathon really is an event for anyone! There was a wide range of groups taking part, including teams from two of our local primary Schools, St Chad’s and Stoke Lodge, and also two teams from Bradley Stoke Community School. There were also swimmers from Falfield Scouts who swam to raise money for their troop and a team swimming in aid of Novi Survat, the charity which supports AIDS orphans in Goa. The Children’s Hospice South West and Sport Relief were also inline to benefit from the sponsorship.
Everyone performed brilliantly with the greatest distance being covered by Totty’s team being an astonishing 168 lengths. One child asked after about thirty minutes of swimming, “Have we swum a mile yet?” By the end of the event her team had managed 2,500 metres, well over a mile!
Everyone went home well exercised and happy, having been presented with a certificate and a medal in celebration of their achievement.
Sponsorship money raised in the event will be split, with 60% going to each team’s nominated good causes, and 40% going to Rotary charities.
At the moment the sponsorship is being followed up and collected in but the club is hopeful of raising in excess of one and a half thousand pounds for its own charities.
The Rotary Club of Bristol Aztec was formed 15 years ago and covers an area taking in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Patchway.
Members gather four times a month on Fridays for a breakfast meeting at the Bristol Golf Club in Almondsbury, with a guest speaker attending twice a month.
The club is supporting around ten different causes this year – benefiting projects locally as well as those thousands of miles away.
Photo (L-R): Jamie King, Ted Powell and Julie Powell sporting their medals upon completion.
Related link: “Club is about more than raising money” (Evening Post)
Many thanks to Margaret Qoura of Bristol Aztec Rotary for providing this report.
