Why Your Donation is Important to Hospicare
Event Day Schedule
Frequently Asked Questions
History

 

Why Your Donation is Important to Hospicare

To make a donation, please click here.

Please know that 100% of your donation will be used to support patient and family care:

• Items such as medications, oxygen, specialized medical equipment, and more. For instance, a day's supply of morphine for one patient costs $65.
   
• Important emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual support to patients, families, and friends facing the hard issues of mortality and loss.
   
• Bereavement and educational services for our friends and neighbors throughout Tompkins County regardless of whether or not their loved one received hospice care. Our Community Bereavement Program and Good Grief Program for children, teens, and families are entirely funded by donations.
   
• Room and board for the Nina K. Miller Hospicare Residence. In 2010, donations covered more than $174,000 in subsidies for those in need of the special 24-hour care provided in our 6-bed residence.
   
• Our Music Program and Intergenerational Nature Program bring comfort, connection, and beauty to patients, families, and friends. These programs are completely funded by donations and grants.

Your participation in Women Swimmin' makes a difference in people's lives. Warm thanks to you for helping make this year's Women Swimmin' the most successful event yet!
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Women Swimmin' FAQs (PDF: 196K)

 

History

In August 2004, 127 determined women between the ages of 18 and 82 swam across Cayuga Lake on a beautiful but chilly morning. The distance was 1.2 miles, and the swimmers were accompanied by over 35 small craft including canoes, kayaks, and motorboats. This was the first Women Swimmin' for Hospicare.

The idea for Women Swimmin' was born in a conversation between an Ithaca woman, looking for a unique activity to mark her 60th birthday, and her primary care physician. Both swam that first year and continue to be involved with the event. Everyone completes the swim at her own rate: some more experienced swimmers make the crossing in only 35 minutes; others take more than an hour, stopping to chat and dog-paddle as they move across the lake. Speed is not the important thing. What is important is sharing a unique athletic experience on Cayuga Lake with other women and raising money for HPCS in the process. Prizes are given to those swimmers and boaters who raise the most money in sponsorships.

The first Women Swimmin' raised over $54,000 for Hospicare and Palliative Care Services (HPCS) and last year a staggering $267,000 - a demonstration of the incredible generosity of people in Ithaca (and beyond) and their recognition of the importance of HPCS.

As Women Swimmin' grows, we continue to be profoundly moved by the growing enthusiasm and energy of our community for the event.

In the words of C.L. Haxton (1913 - 2006), local poet and long-time friend of Hospicare...