[Paddlewise] Press Release: Little Red Lighthouse Swim, 6/20/98

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LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE SWIM
TO TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1998
("New York City 100" weekend)

	NEW YORK, N.Y., June 2, 1998 -- The inaugural Little Red Lighthouse
Swim LRLS), a 7.8 mile race down the Hudson River from the George
Washington Bridge to Chelsea Piers (23rd Street) ,will take place on
Saturday, June 20.
	The race is the opening event in the New York City 100 weekend---a
celebration of the 100th anniversary of the consolidation of New York
City, which will include events throughout the five boroughs.
One-hundred individual swimmers ages 15 and older are expected to
participate in the race, which begins at 10:30 a.m. 
	The Little Red Lighthouse, which stands at Jeffrey's Hook, a rock
formation which juts into the Hudson in the shadow of the George
Washington Bridge, is a 118-year-old symbol of the urban geography and
growth of New York City.
	It was immortalized in a 1942 classic children's book, The Little Red
Lighthouse and Great Gray Bridge, by Hildegarde H. Swift.
	Sponsored by the Manhattan Island Foundation (MIF) in cooperation with
the Hudson River Park Conservancy, the LRLS is designed to allow
participants the experience of challenging the mighty Hudson, the
ultimate in open water swimming. All participants must have completed at
least open water swim of one mile or longer at a pace of 40 minutes per
mile within the last three years, or completed a three mile pool swim in
2 hours, 15 minutes within the last three years.
	The LRLS will take place three weeks before the 17th Annual Manhattan
Island Marathon Swim (MIMS), a 28.5 mile race which will be held
Saturday, July 11.
	The MIMS, sponsored by the MIF, will begin at 8:50 a.m. at Gangway 6 on
the Hudson River side of Battery Park. Approximately 25 individual
marathon swimmers from around the world, as well as several relay teams,
will participate.
	"The LRLS gives more swimmers the opportunity to experience the
excitement of swimming down the Hudson and seeing Manhattan, without
having to swim the 28.5 miles of the MIMS. The LRLS will be a
mini-marathon for them," said Morty Berger, executive director of MIF.
	Proceeds from the LRLS, like the MIMS, will benefit the New York City
Learn to Swim program, which establishes swimming programs for children
as well as rehabilitates swimming pools. The MIF has donated more than
$50,000 to the Learn to Swim program.
	More about the LRLS, the New York City 100, the MIMS and the MIF can be
found at http://www.nycswim.org.
# # #

	We are still seeking kayakers to support and assist the swimmers. If
you are interested in assisting as a kayaker, please contact Richard
Clifford at W: (212) 599-2780, H: (914) 834-7612 or E-mail:
rcc7_at_ix.netcom.com 
	The kayakers' general plan is for the kayakers to meet at Chelsea Piers
at 8:00 AM. There will be coffee, tea, donuts, bagels, fruit. We propose
to paddle up the River as a group, leaving at 9:00 AM, but no later than
9:30 AM. The swimmers have a cut off time of 1:00 PM to complete their
swim, with interim cutoff times for the 79th Street Basin and the Jacob
Javits Center. Upon your return to the Chelsea Piers we can expect to
re-supply with food and beverages, but there will be more that you can
do on the water.
	This cutoff and return time to Chelsea Piers will allow kayakers to
continue on down the River with a group of paddlers for a blessing of
the Fleet as part of the NYC Centennial celebrations. Further details
regarding the NYC Centennial celebrations will be made available later
today. 
	It looks like it will be a great fun filled day on the water. Please
let us know if you are interested in participating. Thanks again,
Richard Clifford on behalf of MIMS

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