Swimmers Do Laps to Give Back

Volunteers are churning up the water at the Cranford Swimming Club this weekend to raise money for the needy in the township.

The benefit, called the Swim-A-Thon, began yesterday around 4 p.m. and will continue until Sunday. Each swimmer asked sponsors to pledge a donation dependent on how many laps they complete, swim team coordinator Karen Hoover said.

Proceeds will go to Cranford Family Care, an organization that provides financially struggling township residents with food items and other basic needs, she added.

The Swim-A-Thon this year is not the first one planned by CSC, but it's the first in 10 years. Club members were inspired after old award plaques from past swim-a-thons were found in a CSC storage room, swim team head coordinator Maureen Monroe explained. "We found a number of plaques, and longtime members were reminded of that, and were like, 'oh yes!'"

Organizers included Hoover, Monroe and swim team coaches Chris McKenna and David Ford, who began planning the Swim-A-Thon at the end of May.

"Together we discussed the fact that we'd like to do something to give back," Hoover said. "We'll see how it goes and see if it's successful."