Rotary Club of Peterborough Breaks Fundraising Record of $57,748 From 39th Annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim

The Rotary Club of Peterborough has a new fundraising record, accumulating $57,748 at the 39th Annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim fundraiser, announced at the Ashburnham Funeral Home & Reception Centre on Monday afternoon.

Since its inception, the Swimathon has raised over $1.4 million for Easter Seals and Rotary Projects. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

This is the first swim without Carl Oake, as the family announced his passing in early January. He started this event 39 years ago.

“The community really came out,” said Ken Seim, Rotary president. “It's a bittersweet thing that people came out and with Carl's passing but we're pledged to keep it going and with great enthusiasm.”

Approximately 15 teams and organizations signed up for the Swimathon and other activities. Groups and individuals signed up to participate in swim lanes, catwalk, and cannonball challenges to raise money for the event.

The goal was to raise $50,000 which was easily shattered.

One aspect Seim recognized this year was that there were a lot more participants from younger generations who helped fundraise for the cause and contribute to Oake’s legacy.

“What I'm really happy about is that we're getting more and more young people coming out,” he explained. “We've had two hockey teams, we had the Lakers out this year, the U13/U18 Petes as well as the Special Olympics so it's good to see the younger people coming out.” 

The Rotary Club presented cheques for $13,000 to Easter Seals and $3,000 to the YMCA for their Strong Kids campaign during the announcement.

The Carl Oake Rotary Swim Committee have named next year (as the 40th Anniversary) to be ‘like totally 80s’ themed. It reflects the year 1986, when Oake founded the event to celebrate music, fashion and pop culture during that time.

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Darling Insurance and Sentinel Risk Insurance Raise $51,000 for Easter Seals Through Charity Golf Tournaments

After hitting the links from two charity golf tournaments, Darling Insurance and Sentinel Risk Insurance raised and donated $51,000 for Easter Seals, announced on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of Darling Insurance.

The proceeds help Easter Seals to provide programs and services for children and youth with physical disabilities in Ontario. Their programs and services include access to mobility equipment, financial assistance for camp programs and educational support for children with disabilities.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s golf tournaments and we are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from our community,” said Peter Blodgett, Darling Insurance president. “Supporting Easter Seals aligns with our company’s commitment to giving back to the communities we serve. This donation will go a long way in helping children and families across Ontario.”

“We are so proud to partner with Darling Insurance on these events,” said Greg Kruk, Partner at Sentinel Risk Insurance. “It’s heartwarming to see so many people come together to support Easter Seals, and we look forward to continuing our work with such a fantastic organization.”

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Easter Seals and YMCA Receive $15,000 From Carl Oake Rotary Swim

After months of crazy stunts such as downhill sledding, fire hoses and shopping carts off docks, Rotary Club of Peterborough’s Carl Oake Rotary Swim has raised $15,000 for Easter Seals Ontario and the YMCA in a cheque presentation on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Rotary Club of Peterborough.

Easter Seals received $12,000 while the YMCA got $3,000 of the total donation.

The 36th annual Carl Oake Rotary Swimathon was held on Feb. 25 where individuals or teams were encouraged to swim a few laps at the YMCA to raise money Easter Seals and Rotary Projects.

Those unable to attend were encouraged to do a virtual at-home swim or splash at home while raising funds and sharing it on social media tagging the fundraising’s Facebook page.

To date, over $1.3 million dollars has been raised.

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65 Year Old Peterborough Woman Rappels Down 17 Story Toronto Building For Easter Seals

Peterborough woman Pat Moore rappelled down a 17 storey building at CREIT's head office at the intersection of Bloor and Church streets in Easter Seals Drop Zone Toronto—raising $7,200 in the process for Easter Seals kids. The rappel took Moore less than eight minutes from top to bottom. Moore, who recently celebrated her 65th birthday, works at Scotiabank on Hunter St. Huge congrats Pat, you are a real life superhero. Have a look at the pictures below. —Scott Arnold

(h/t Pete Dalliday, Hits 100.5)

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