On Feb. 28, 20 teams braved the cold for the 34th annual Carl Oake Swimathon in Peterborough, Ont. With the help of almost 100 swimmers, volunteers and Century 21 United Realty staff, the event raised over $45,000 for Easter Seals and the Rotary Club of Peterborough. Since 1987, this event has raised over $1.2 million to help Canadians living with disabilities and to support local initiatives such as the school breakfast programs, the YMCA and the Rotary Greenway Trail.
Vanessa Oake Hogan of Century 21 United Realty co-chaired the event, while her father Carl Oake was out of town. Carl started the Swimathon 34 years ago by getting his friends and family to donate 10 cents for every lap he swam. This year, his daughter Renee Oake took her father’s place and completed 136 lengths.
A local Special Olympics team participated in the Swimathon. Wanting to give back to the organizations that have helped them succeed, they reached out to Oake Hogan. They were a top fundraising team and swam the entire event while encouraging other participating teams.
“I am so grateful for the people of Peterborough coming together to give back to this community. With them braving the cold in their swimsuits and wacky outfits, we were able to raise over $45,000 to help our neighbours and Easter Seals participants,” says Oake Hogan.
