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To celebrate its landmark 40th anniversary, organisers of the Skipton Swimarathon are calling for 40 local good causes to benefit from the fundraising in 2016.
The Lions Club and The Guernsey Round Table distribute the funds annually and this year aim to make a £1,000 donation to each of the 40 Guernsey-based charities or organisations chosen.
Steve Hogg, Chairman of the Skipton Swimarathon, said: “Thousands of swimmers have taken part in the Swimarathon over the last 40 years, helping to make it the Island’s largest community fundraising event. To celebrate this achievement and to demonstrate our commitment to the wider community, the Organising Committee is looking for 40 charities to each receive a donation this year.
"We are asking people to apply for the funds by telling us how they contribute to our community and how they would use the donation, we’ll then select 40 as joint beneficiaries. We have a number of other initiatives planned throughout this year to mark this milestone and most families will have had some connection with the event at some time, so as ever we encourage islanders ‘dive in’, support our community and join us in celebrating our 40th anniversary.”
The first Swimarathon Organising Committee was formed by The Lions Club of Guernsey, Guernsey Round Table and Variety Club of Guernsey under the chairmanship of Harry Bisson in 1977 with the aim of raising funds to put back into the community. Forty years later and the event has grown from 1,000 swimmers to over 1,800 in 2015, raising over £1,350,000 for Guernsey charities.
Mr Hogg said: “Central to the success of the Swimarathon has been the emphasis on having fun while raising funds in an event that caters for swimmers of all ages and abilities. We’ve seen it all over the last 40 years with rubber dinghies, sub-aqua participants and the event even having its own TV station at one time and we look forward to some fun anniversary celebrations this year as swimmers again raise funds to support our wider community.”
