Women Swimmin'
Swimmer Information
Swimmer Information
Thank you for your interest in swimming for Hospicare and Palliative Care Services! We hope that your swim across Cayuga Lake is both fun and empowering.

The impact of your swim will be felt by our patients and their families throughout the year. The funds you raise enhance our ability to provide the comfort measures our patients and families need, both in hospice and in our palliative care program. These donations also underwrite bereavement and educational services for the community.

Women Swimmin' is a non-competitive, community swim that depends for its success on the cooperation and good will of all involved.
 

Key Dates and Times for Swimmers  
Thursday July 14 Deadline for swim times and pod requests
Friday, July 22 Deadline to raise $1000 to win an incentive prize!
Friday, August 12 3:00-7:00 pm
Swimmer registration at Hospicare
Saturday, August 13 Starting at 6:15 am
Women Swimmin' at the Ithaca Yacht Club!
 
Also available as a PDF:
Women Swimmin' Key Dates and Times    Key Dates and Times (PDF: 123K)

 

Swimmer Information Meetings

If you couldn't attend the swimmer information meetings in July, don't worry! The slides from those meetings are available here:
Swimmer Meetings Presentation    Swimmer Meetings Presentation (PDF: 1.5M)

 

Swimmer's Manual
Swimmer's Manual    Swimmer's Manual (PDF: 272K)

All swimmers should read the Swimmer's Manual. The manual contains information about the swim, training, fundraising, and more.
 

2011 Swimmer News

  • Have your personal page questions answered (PDF: 430K).
     
  • Wetsuits can be rented from Cornell Outdoor Education at a rate of $9.00/day.
     
  • Thanks to the Finger Lakes Running Company for again offering a discount on wetsuit purchases and swimmer products to registered swimmers.
     
  • Get the Latest News about important swim day information and safety procedures.
     
  • If you raise $1000 by July 22, you'll receive a comfy Women Swimmin' beach blanket!
     
  • If you raise $500 by August 12, you'll receive a Women Swimmin' healthy backpack.
     
  • Our friends at Island Health and Fitness are once again offering a discounted rate of $6/swim to all registered Women Swimmin' swimmers from now until August 13! Be sure to take a printout of your welcome/confirmation email and a photo ID.
     

Fundraising

See our expanded Fundraising page.

See the About the Event page for more information about why donations are important to Hospicare. Feel free to share this list with your supporters.

VIDEO
Women Swimmin' Safely!
Gladys, Lucy, and Kayaker Phil demonstrate how to stay safe during Women Swimmin'! The video may be lighthearted, but the subject is serious.
Fundraising
Check-in

Swimmers must come to the Hospicare Center, 172 East King Road in Ithaca, on FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 to check in (exact times to be announced). At this time, you will:

  • Receive your t-shirt, swim cap and pod information.
  • Submit (if you haven't already) a minimum of $175 in sponsorship money.
  • Receive fun incentive prizes.
  • Meet other swimmers.
  • Receive instructions for the swim.
  • Have any last-minute questions answered.
 

Parking on the Morning of the Swim

Women Swimmin' participants are asked to park at Union Fields in Cass Park. Shuttle buses will be ferrying folks back and forth throughout the morning. Do leave some extra time to park and take a bus to the Ithaca Yacht Club (IYC).

Swimmers can be dropped off directly at the IYC, with cars continuing back to Union Fields to park.

There will be some additional parking spaces available at the Glenwood Pines Restaurant until 11 am. If parking here, please use the lower lot and be mindful of traffic as you walk down the hill to the IYC.

To Cass Park

  • From the northeast: take 13 south to 89 north
  • From the southeast: take 96B north to downtown Ithaca, turn left at Buffalo St. and turn right on 89 north
  • From the east: take 79 west to 13 north and turn left on Buffalo St. to 89 north
  • From the southwest: take 34, 96 or 13 north to 89 north
  • From the northwest: take 89 north
  • From the west: take 79 east to 89 north
Cass Park is 0.7 miles north on 89 from the bridge over the Cayuga Lake inlet. Note that 13 separates into two roads, one way north and one way south within the Ithaca City limits.
 

Places to Swim in Ithaca

Let the training begin! Remember, training in a pool is important, but pool swimming and lake swimming are very different - nothing beats training in the lake. Do try and swim in the lake as often as you can before August 14.

Indoor Pools

Outdoor Pools Cayuga Lake  

Women Swimmin' Blog

For more information from past years about training, places to swim, and other swimmer questions, check out the blog created by Marrie Neumer. Marrie was a swim coach for over 20 years and generously answered many questions about the swim. While the blog site is not currently being updated, it still provides a great deal of useful information.

This year, Marrie will be providing training tips that will be shared via the Women Swimmin' for Hospicare Facebook page.
 

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