This morning’s swim
Early this morning before the sun came up, I swam with Naomi and Dan at Broughton Beach, our swim buoys with their little lights inside dragging from our waists. We dropped our towels and slipped off our sandals. The morning wind felt gentle, the water at 42F was tantalizing. As Dan pushed himself forward into the dark clear water, Naomi and I took a moment to inhale then whoop and holler against the cold. I took my time against the Columbia river current feeling the prickly water teasing my aching hands and feet, and then turning velvety and nurturing through my whole body. A few minutes later I turned around to swim back with the current and watched the moon still high in its sky, an airplane dipping down toward PDX. I let myself float past my gear on the beach, turned around one more time against the current to watch a few fluorescent pink and purple clouds taking shape by the PDX-Mt Hood horizon. Today I feel ready for one more cycle, one more push against the current and one more float downstream.
Here's what we can be proud of in 2023
* 21 Eco-Swim Clinics that engaged 283 participants who learned new skills and fell IN LOVE with the water
* 221 volunteers engaged who leveraged 26,280 direct service volunteer hours worth $394,200
* 13 organizational partners who provided over $35,000 in grant funds
And here’s what we can look forward to in 2024
* Monthly Eco-Swim clinics
* Quarterly Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED certification workshops
* Special events for World Water Day, Earth Day, and National Drowning Prevention Month
* Summer outreach tents at Broughton Beach
Team WaterStrong: you had fun, you instilled a love for the water, you balanced our learning objectives with the reality of things, and you took leadership. I am beyond proud of team WaterStrong. You are wonderful. Here are the pictures to prove it: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2h26vBbuRvzDePHB8
Thanks to you we have reached the halfway mark toward our 5k goal by December 31st. Thank you!! Now, in WaterStrong style, we’ll re-adjust. The quadruple match offer is still on the table. If we can reach $3,500 by December 31st, we’ll unlock it.
Please help me raise $1,000 by Sunday midnight.
$25 = 1 lifejacket
$150 = lunch for volunteers at 1 Eco-Swim clinic
$250 = event insurance for 1 Eco-Swim clinic
To make it as easy as possible, WaterStrong now works with Paypal, credit cards, Venmo, Zelle and personal checks. Here’s to a great 2024 for us all. Thank you!
