I'm swimming across Cayuga Lake for Hospicare. I registered for the first time last year and sadly the weather wasn't cooperating so it was cancelled. So, I had to sign up again and I'm asking that you support my efforts by donating what you can to this wonderful organization that has such a huge impact on so many in our community. 

I've been preparing for this swim for a long time now! Although I've always loved cooling off in the water in the many beautiful spots I live near in the Finger Lakes and during the summers in Fair Haven, NY (that's 55 previous summers!) I never rearlly learned how to swim the freestyle stroke and manage breathing.  I was lucky two years ago when I signed up for a total immersion swim program as I discovered I absoutley love swimming! I've been in the water ever since, either at the pool or in warm months on the shores of Cayuga, Seneca lakes, or Lake Ontario.  I'm up to about 40 minutes of lap swiming and now that I've got freestyle down, I'm working on butterfly! It's the most amazing form of exercise and now that I've figured out how to swim and breathe I can put that to good use for this wonderful fundraising event by swimming 1.2 miles across Cayuga Lake.

Hospicare was there for my ex-husband, Randy, when he reached the end of his fight with lung, brain and bone cancer in 2016. He spent his last days at the Ithaca Hospicare residence and the wonderful staff helped him be comfortable, eased his tremendous pain, gave him respect and prepared us all for what was to come. Later they were there to help our family with grief counseling and support groups. It made the year after his passing a time of healthy healing and taught me a different way to live with the pain of loss always present.  Please consider giving what you can to honor someone you may know who benefitted from hospice care or think of your donation as a way to help someone who needs it.