50/50 Swim Update

Wow, with less than 2 weeks to go until the big day, I am thrilled to report that we have had just the most amazing response to our pleas for donations for the 50/50 Swim Challenge. All 50 of the 1-mile sponsorships have been sold, and more requests are coming in every day, so we've started doubling up sponsors and dedications on the miles. Can we hit 100, 1-mile sponsorships? That would be incredible and quite fitting; seeing that with both Ray and I will be swimming 50 miles each, 100 miles will be covered on July 9th and 10th.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OUR SPONSORS AND DONORS!

The outpouring of support has been incredible and the stories we're recieving of the people we're swimming in memory and honor of are heart-breaking, hopeful, and truly inspirational. It will be these stories that get us through the darkest parts of the swim and those most difficult last few miles.

We've also been lucky to land a heck of an awesome start and finish location. We'll be launching and coming home to Chelo's Waterfront Restaurant in Warwick, RI. It's in Brewer's Marina (seems fitting) and is a lively, seaside restaurant that reminds me of several of the places I used to haunt when I lived on Long Beach Island at the Jersey Shore. We stopped by on Friday evening to check it out and strategize with the pilots-- Rich and Joe-- and the venue couldn't be more perfect. I am tempted to make a dinner reservation for me and my crew on Sunday evening at about 4pm so that there will be a table waiting for us! But, if I'm slow on Sunday and get back after 8pm (I hope I'm not THAT slow, but who knows what will happen to me after about 40 miles...) chances are good there will be a live band playing on the patio at the restaurant. If there is a band playing when I arrive back on terra firm and I'm at all coherent, I can guarantee that I will be headed directly up on stage to join them in my swimsuit. And that's a swimming fact. ;-)

Surveying the start and finish location with Ray, Caroline and the pilots, Joe and Rich. They are pointing to a buoy that I couldn't quite make out but is apparently vitally important to the course. I will just follow the boat and go where they tell me to go. The less I know about the markers we have to hit, the better, I think. As they say, just keep swimming!