As devoted members of the Port Washington community who are invested in continuing the legacy on which the Red Devils Swim Team was built upon, Victoria Sanger, Olivia Moss, and Gordon Shaub took it upon themselves to create an event that goes beyond the sport of swimming. In 2018, they introduced the SWIM-A-THON for CancerCare to the Red Devil Family in support of a cause that the coaches all held extremely near and dear to their hearts; in honor of their families, and all those affected by cancer’s reach.
It was an honor and a privilege for the Red Devils to host the Swim-a-Thon to raise money for CancerCare. The sentimental aura that radiated from their very first event left them with a sense of fulfillment like no other, far exceeding any monetary value generated by the cause. The overwhelming success of their first event was evident in donations, swimmer turnout, and ultimately gave rise to a new Red Devil tradition.
Since their inaugural event at which the team raised about $1,500, the Manorhaven Red Devil Swim-A-Thon for CancerCare has grown in size year after year. This year, at the fourth annual Swim-A-Thon for CancerCare, the team reached new heights in their fundraising efforts, enjoying more success than they ever believed possible.
The team, led by coaches Caitlin Shaub, Gordon Shaub and Calvin Ye, was able to bring in record numbers thanks to the participation of swimmers and their families.
Fifty swimmers arrived early on a Sunday morning, the day after their final dual meet and only a few days before their championship meet, to swim for CancerCare. The swimmers were eager to hop in the pool and swim as many laps as they could, hoping to beat their fundraising from the previous year and match their goals.
There were little “8 and under” swimmers who came to the event pledging to swim 20 laps maximum, but ended up reaching an incredible 50 laps. There were kids who easily swam a mile, 72 laps, or strove to hit 100 laps. Most impressively, two swimmers, Robert Pedersen and Caleb Weiss, the first two in the pool, swam 355 laps totaling three miles with Mitchell Stevens close behind with 302 laps.
As the donations poured in, the coaches’ goal was to match the previous year’s donation of $5,000. The team pulled together, blowing that goal out of the proverbial water and leaving the coaches in shock and awe of their amazing swimmers who came together to raise money for a cause bigger than themselves. This year, a mere five years after the start of this event, the Manorhaven Red Devil Swim Team was able to raise and donate $10,767 to CancerCare.
The coaches, past and present, are forever grateful to all of the swimmers and their amazing families for joining them in supporting CancerCare and creating a legacy for this team.
—Submitted by CancerCare
