Swimmers in Galway will have the opportunity to raise much-needed funds for national housing charity Threshold as the Atlantic Masters Swimming Club has relaunched its popular Turkey Swim for 2020, with no fixed location due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The fundraiser is open to swimmers of all abilities, even those who wish to take ‘just a dip’. In lieu of a gathering, the club is encouraging participants to go for their swim within a 5km radius of their homes, in line with new Covid-19 restrictions introduced this week.
One of the founder members of Atlantic Masters Swimming Club, Mark Dwyer said There will be a total of nine swims over the next nine weekends.
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“So we really hope that more people will be able to take part later in the year. For now, we would encourage anyone who lives within 5km of the sea to take advantage of that over the Bank Holiday weekend and take a dip and raise much-needed funds for Threshold. For those who don’t live near the sea, it might be an excuse to get creative – why not get the paddling pool out of the shed? We raised €950 for Threshold last year so we’d love to surpass that this year, especially after the difficult year it’s been and how important our homes have been to us all.”
Turkey Swim this weekend
The first Turkey Swim will take place this Sunday, October 25, and will run every Sunday up to and including 20 December. Participants are being asked to donate €3 per swim – a total of €27 for all nine swims.
Western Regional Services Manager at Threshold, Karina Timothy said they are very pleased that Atlantic Masters SC will be donating the proceeds from their Turkey Swim to Threshold again this year.
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“In the first eight months of 2020, we dealt with over 1,600 cases in Galway alone – it’s vital for us to have strong local support in one of our busiest areas. Every donation will go towards saving a home,” she said.
Those interested in taking part can sign up and donate at idonate.ie/AtlanticMasters All donors will be entered into a raffle for six turkey vouchers which will be given away just before Christmas; there will also be a spot prize for the best Turkey Swim Pose send to Atlantic Masters SC on Facebook or Instagram.