Make your New Year’s resolution to have a great time for a good cause at the 27th anniversary Buzzards Bay Swim on Saturday,June 27 in New Bedford and Fairhaven. Registration is open at savebuzzardsbay.org/swim, with 40 percent off sign-ups through Friday, January 31.
The Buzzards Bay Swim is an exciting outdoor experience that welcomes swimmers of all abilities and fitness levels ages 11 and up. Four hundred or more swimmers will complete a scenic 1.2-mile point-to-point open watercourse from New Bedford’s South End, past the iconic Butler Flats Lighthouse and New Bedford Hurricane Barrier with a crowd of hundreds watching and cheering.
At the finish line at Fort Phoenix State Reservation in Fairhaven, swimmers and their guests are welcomed with a beach party featuring a live steel drum band, pancakes cooked to order, gourmet coffee, free massages, local craft beer, and awards and prizes. First-time and beginner swimmers can swim with a personal kayak or paddleboard escort for added support.
South Dartmouth resident Martha Yules and her husband tried the Swim for the first time in 2018. “We loved it — what a fun and memorable experience! This event should be added to the proverbial ‘bucket list’ for everyone living on the Southcoast.”
The $15 early-bird registration for the Buzzards Bay Swim is available through Friday, January 31. Swimmers commit to raising a minimum of $150 each, although most find they can raise much more. Last year, 347 swimmers raised $187,000 for clean water in Buzzards Bay, including first-time swimmer Xan Williams, a member of top fundraising team SPLASH from Rochester, which raised $6,350 in 2019. “The Swim is a great opportunity to push yourself and see what you can accomplish, and even better to do so for a worthy cause,” Williams said. Funds raised support the Coalition’s ongoing work to prevent pollution and protect water quality in the community.
This year, the Swim promises to be bigger than ever. Participants will help the Coalition raise an additional $75,000 for clean water, through the final year of a generous four-year challenge grant from the Fish Family Foundation via long-time swimmer and West Falmouth resident Larry Fish. To meet the terms of the challenge, the swimmers must collectively raise $200,000 for Bay conservation efforts.
Make your New Year’s Resolution to have a great time for a good cause at the 27th anniversary Buzzards Bay Swim on Saturday, June 27! Sign up today at www.savebuzzardsbay.org/swim.
If your business would like to sponsor the Swim, contact events@savebuzzardsbay.org.
The Buzzards Bay Coalition is a membership-supported nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection, restoration, and sustainable use and enjoyment of Buzzards Bay and its watershed. The Coalition works to improve the health of the Bay ecosystem for all through education, conservation, research, and advocacy and is supported by more than 10,500 members.