At 2:30 PM on Canada Day, July 1st, John Munro will enter the water in Bath to swim across the North Channel and land on Amherst Island's North Shore. This is a qualifying swim to meet the requirements for the Lake Erie and Ontario swims this summer. John will be in view at about 3:30 PM and arrive on the shore of Dayle Gowan's property just west of the ferry dock at about 4:30 PM. All Islanders are encouraged to greet John and his wife Vicki Keith as they arrive. This approximately two hour swim follows a busy morning where John and Vicki will be honoured as parade marshals in the famous Bath Canada Day Parade. After John's swim across the channel, he and Vicki will also put in an appearance at the Amherst Island Canada Day Parade.
The Amherst Island Fire and Emergency Response Crew is organizing this worthwhile event to help promote John's summer swims across Lake Erie in early July and Lake Ontario in August and to raise funds for children with special needs.
The Fire and Rescue Crew is also entering a float in the Bath parade to make the estimated 5000 attendees very aware of John's reasons for taking on these Herculean swim challenges. Many of the twenty kids with disabilities that Vicki works with at the Kingston Family YMCA will ride on a float behind John and Vicki.
Why is John swimming the Y Knot Marathon? In John's own words "I am doing this to change lives. To open up a whole new world of opportunities for young people with physical disabilities. Many of the young people we are working with have life altering or life threatening conditions. Up to this point there have been very few opportunities for these young people to participate in sport and recreational activities. They are often forgotten. The programs that we are developing with the Kingston Family YMCA give these children the chance not only to participate but more importantly to belong. It is an awesome feeling when you can touch a child's life in such a powerful way."
This summer, John will swim 38.8 knots across Lakes Erie and Ontario. At $2,000 per knot (a knot, or nautical mile, is equal to 1.15 statute miles or 1.852 km) , John can raise $77,600.00 with your support. It is very important to realize that all of the money raised for John's very, very worthwhile cause goes towards equipment and programs for kids with special needs.
Here's how you can pitch in and help John's Y Knot Marathon: cheques can be made payable to Kingston Family YMCA and mailed to Kingston Family YMCA, attention Heather McDonald, 100 Wright Cr., Kingston, Ontario, K7L 4T9. In the memo area of your cheque please write Y Knot Marathon.
If you need more information, please call Neil Johnston at 389-5389 or go to the Island web site at:
http://www.amherstisland.on.ca/yknot
