COPE Galway is calling on veteran swimmers, regular dippers, first timers and all levels between - to brave the cold Galway Bay sea on Christmas morning to raise vital funds for its services for people affected by homelessness, women and children experiencing domestic abuse, and older people in Galway.
To mark 30 years of the COPE Galway Christmas Day Swim, the local organisation is also encouraging participants to log on to www.copegalway.ie/swim to share their “Swim Story” about why they take part and why this event has been special to them over the years. “Every Christmas Day Swim I meet the same families, maybe with a new baby or a cousin or friend who is home,” COPE Galway volunteer, Saibh Egan writes in her contribution. “Even those who come down just for the festivites and don’t actually get in the water - it is still a tradition. My tradition.”
“Over the past 30 years the Christmas Day Swim has become one of Galway’s greatest traditions,” says community fundraiser for COPE Galway, Lynia O’Brien. “Last year, nearly a thousand swimmers braved the cold with us at Blackrock, Salthill. Many came along to support and cheer on their family members , friends and colleagues. Salthill is a special place to be on Christmas morning and a great reminder for ourselves, and our children too, that while the day is about being with family, it’s also about remembering and supporting our community.”
The COPE Galway Christmas Day Swim fundraising event began in 1989 when a small group of staff braved the cold together on Christmas morning. Within a few years they were joined by tens, then hundreds, and now, 30 years on, thousands of Galwegians from home and abroad. “Many are home for the holidays, others live locally, some are visiting Galway for the first time, but all are united in the desire to make a difference and help someone in Galway to rebuild their life,” continued Ms O’Brien. As they celebrate 30 years of this iconic event at Blackrock, COPE Galway would like to thank the generous Galway community for there consistent support... through all kinds of weather!
The COPE Galway Christmas Day Swim takes place at Blackrock, Salthill, on Christmas Day from 10am to 1pm. Register online at www.copegalway.ie/swim where you can also tell your “Swim Story”. Registration costs €10 for an individual, €35 for a family. T-shirts are on sale for €5.
