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at www.swimacrossthesound.org.
Save
the Date: Swim Day,
August 5th at Captain's Cove
in Bridgeport. More than 150 swimmers swimming to raise donations
for cancer patients.
Come on down and cheer them on.
 Marathon Man: Mark
Fries
Mark Fries of Sandy Hook knows the bone-chilling winds that
torment runners throughout the winter. He recalls running
13 miles on a recent weekend and the water inside the bottle
he was carrying froze.
He subjected himself to all this to
train for the Big Sur International Marathon April 30th in
California. Sure, Fries
is running to prove that he can still make the distance at
55 years old, but has another higher motivation – to
raise money for St. Vincent's Swim Across the Sound
Teen Smoke Stoppers Program (TSS).
Celebrating its 10th anniversary,
TSS offers education and smoke cessation classes to children
from middle school to
high school at no cost. TSS has seen more than 62,000 kids
in the last decade and helped at least 8,500 quit smoking
entirely. To continue to offer this free program to more
than 110 schools throughout the state, TSS relies on corporate
and private donations.
Fries has embraced the cause because
of his commitment to helping kids live healthy, productive
lives. An insurance
executive for Beardsley, Brown and Bassett, a division of
People's Bank in Bridgeport, Fries views smoking as
one of the most damaging lifestyle choices that kids face
as they grow up.
"Health costs are rising which is directly related
to choices that people can make," Fries said. "We
know that smoking is directly related to poor health. I know
of no
one who is healthy that smokes. Teen Smoke Stoppers has a
proven track record that it can help kids make smart decisions
at a critical point in their lives."
All winter, Fries
trained for his upcoming marathon, logging the miles and
coping with the aches and pains that come from
extensive training. He runs a minimum of eight miles a day
between three and four times a week. He said he needs to
train hard for this marathon because of the challenging course
that offers 13 hills in the last half of the run. Fries had
to deal with a skiing injury that set him back in January,
but he's back on the road, logging the miles. This
is actually Fries' second marathon to benefit TSS.
In 2003, he ran the New York Marathon with his daughter Emily,
who raised a total of $30,000 for TSS. Fries said this run
will be harder because he doesn't have his daughter
to motivate him. Father and daughter completed the marathon
in 4:12.
The Big Sur Marathon presents another challenge
because it snakes along the Pacific Coast Highway, which
offers beautiful
views, but few spectators until the course reaches closer
to the finish line in Monterey. Spectators often help spur
on runners when they're tired and reach the end of
the course. However, Fries' wife, Nancy and another
friend will be there to cheer him on. His son Matthew is
away studying abroad in New Zealand and Emily, recently married,
works in Jakarta for Save the Children.
Fries lives by the
creed of being involved in the community and helping those
less fortunate. He belongs to an impressive
list of organizations in which he remains very active: University
of Bridgeport Trustee and member of St. Vincent's Medical
Center Foundation Board, former Chair of the Board of United
Way of Eastern Fairfield County, Sheehan Center in Bridgeport,
Bridgeport Rotary, International Rotary, and Newtown Scholarship
Association.
"I always admired the people that run all winter," he
said. "I wanted to do it, too. It's a personal
challenge. And it is tough. But I'm running for a worthwhile
cause. That certainly keeps me going."
Swim Across the Sound Names 2
Volunteers of the Year
 St. Vincent's Swim Across the Sound named Joseph
C. Savino of Bridgeport and Kathy F. Young of Fairfield
its 2005 Volunteers of the Year. Both volunteers received
the award for their exceptional commitment and support
in helping cancer patients and their families.
Ron Bianchi, President of St. Vincent's Medical Center
Foundation, praised both volunteers who have helped run
events and raise funds to support the Swim's mission.
"The Swim has grown on the backs of our exceptional
volunteers and Joe and Kathy are prime examples of the
support we
have been fortunate to receive," Bianchi said. "The
Swim couldn't accomplish its goals without the support
of these two. They truly give of themselves from the heart."
Kathy
F. Young brings creativity and excitement with her involvement
to Swim Across the Sound for the last several
years. She has served as co-chair of the Swim Breast Cancer
Luncheon that has evolved into one of the Swim's
most successful events annually. For the last several years,
Kathy has brought a significant amount of funding to the
Swim Breast Cancer programs through partnerships with area
car dealerships.
She arranged a $50-a-car donation for
every car sold (new and pre-owned) during October, Breast
Cancer Awareness
month, at two area dealerships - Lexus of Westport and
Curran Volkswagen. In addition, she obtained a generous
donation from Toyota/Scion of Westport to support the
Swim.
A
gourmet cook, Kathy always loves to throw a party, so she
went out and started her own to benefit the Swim four
years ago when she introduced the Swim Sunset Sail, a cruise
to nowhere aboard the Port Jefferson/Long Island Sound
ferry. Each year, she draws more than 300 supporters to
enjoy a cruise, dancing, and gourmet food to raise funds
for the Swim's Breast Cancer programs.
An advertising
executive with Cablevision for the last 22 years, Kathy
has tuned into her contacts in business
to benefit cancer patients. She has dedicated herself to
the Swim with the passing of her brother, Bob Wade, from
cancer.
An avid golfer, she also was named a past Barnum
Festival Volunteer of the Year. She recently joined the
Board of
Directors of St. Vincent's Medical Center Special
Needs and has been a member of the Evergreen Project and
is active in her children's school activities.
She is married to Detective William Young of the Fairfield
Police Department and has two children, Lauren, 17, who
attends St. Joseph's High School and Brett, 12, who
attends St. Thomas School in Fairfield.
Savino has worked
quietly behind the scenes, ensuring the safety of the more
than 150 swimmers who participate in
the Swim Marathon and making the entire event a success.
Savino attends the Boat Safety meetings throughout the
year, planning the logistics of the event, which involves
more than 50 boats that are assigned to each solo swimmer
and relay teams. He also recruits other law enforcement
agencies from surrounding towns to participate as police
escorts for the flotilla of boats that cross Long Island
Sound on Swim Day.
Joe, the Bridgeport Harbormaster, is
the only full-time one in the state who has patrolled the
harbor and Sound
for more than 10 years. A Bridgeport policeman for 28 years,
Joe also helped write the bylaws for the harbor master
position. He sits on the Bridgeport Port Authority board
of directors, which is responsible for the operation of
the ferry terminal facility, Water Street Dock, Bridgeport
Regional Maritime Complex, and has jurisdiction over several
marine cargo terminals.
Joe became involved with Swim Across
the Sound when his first wife, Sandy, passed away from
breast cancer. In addition,
Joe is a handyman, who enjoys working on his house. Give
him a saw and wood and he'll do anything. He is also
an outstanding cook and a passionate golfer, who vows to
become a low-handicapper one day.
He is the father of two
children, Joseph Savino, a Lieutenant on the Bridgeport
Police Department as well as Dawn Savino,
a registered nurse at Norwalk Hospital. His daughter-in-law
Jennifer Savino, is a registered nurse at Bridgeport
Hospital. Joe is married to Joan Savino, a marketer for
the Chicago
Title Insurance Company.
 Corner Deli Gives Back to the
Community
For the last four years, Jennifer and Nick Costantini,
owners of the Corner Deli-Grocery in Trumbull, have supported
the Swim with special promotions.
In the past, the couple
has served up specials to raise donations for the Swim,
such as sandwich and soda special
or coffee and egg sandwich special with a percentage of
the sales benefiting Swim Across the Sound. For a change
in 2005, the Constantinis dumped all the extra change from
a sale that customers didn't want into a Swim bucket.
Within a year, they collected $627 to help cancer patients
and their familes.
"I've always supported the Swim because all
the donations go directly to help people," Jennifer
said. "And
I know it's helping people in the community – friends
or customers. It's a great cause."
Jennifer's
family owned the deli at 6374 Main Street for 28 years
when she took over in 1995. Her brother Robert
Patrignelli, M.D. is affiliated with St. Vincent's
Medical Center. She continues to serve great sandwiches,
cold cuts and hot dishes to customers as well as catering
for events. And she never forgets to give back to the community
through the Swim.
STAY
TUNED...:
Youth Basketball Classic to Score
Big for the Swim
The Fairfield County Board of Approved Basketball Officials,
Inc. with Swim Across the Sound, will host the 6th Annual Youth
Basketball Classic at Bunnell High School.
The games will take place on April 22nd and 23rd to benefit the
Swim Teen Smoke Stoppers. The Youth Basketball Classic features
7th and 8th graders from the surrounding areas in a single game
elimination format with each team guaranteed two games. Four
teams for the boys division and four teams for the girls division
that win their opening game will compete in the semi-finals,
which will take place on Sunday, April 23rd. The four teams in
both the boys and girls division that lose their opening game
will play a consolation game. The semi-final winners in the Youth
Basketball Classic will compete for the championship and the
losing team will not advance.
All
teams will play two games on Saturday, April 22nd and the semifinals
and finals will follow the next day. Good sportsmanship is
expected from every player.
Boys and girls 14 and under, born on or after January 1, 1992,
will be allowed to take part in the two-day basketball tournament.
The team entry fee is $175 per team and team rosters can be
no more than 12 players. Commemorative T-shirts will be distributed
to all players attending and playing in the Basketball Classic.
If you would like to form a team, support the Swim and Teen
Smoke Stoppers and show off your basketball skills, please
contact
Catch A Healthy Habit at (203) 452-9641 or catchahealthyhabit@yahoo.com or
call the St. Vincent's Foundation office at (203) 576-5451.
Teen Smoke Stoppers is a cessation program in more than
90 school systems statewide, educating children about the
damaging
side
effects of smoking, and helps teens quit the habit. The services
are offered free of charge to the children.
101
Boys At It Again
Swim Across the Sound 101 Boys Night Out will honor Tom D'Addario,
owner of Mario D'Addario Buick, Pontiac, GMC, D'Addario
Nissan, D'Addario Cadillac, as the Swim Man of the Year
April 27th at Vazzy's Restaurant in Bridgeport.
D'Addario
is an outstanding businessman as well as an avid supporter
of the Swim. His family also started the D'Addario
Hypertension Fund at St. Vincent's Medical Center. Each
year, the Swim selects a prominent man in the community to
honor for his accomplishments and community support. The event
raises
more than $20,000 to benefit the Swim. Last year, the Swim
honored Armand J. Cantafio, CEO of Northeast Electronics Corporation
in Milford.
John Vazzano, owner of Vazzy's Restaurant
donates the dinners for the evening. There will also be a silent
auction to support
the Swim. Tickets are $200 for the event. Make your reservations
soon since seating is limited. For more information about 101
Boys Night Out, call the St. Vincent's Foundation at
203-576-5451.
Taste
the Wine
Swim Across the Sound Hartford Chapter will host a Wine Tasting/Silent
Auction May 3rd to benefit the Swim's 34 cancer education,
prevention, support, and screening programs.
The Wine Tasting/Auction
will take place at the Country Club of Farmington, and feature
dozens of fine wines from around the
world as well as unique and high-quality silent auction items,
ranging from sports memorabilia to Broadway tickets. All the
proceeds will benefit the Swim. Last year, the Swim Hartford
Chapter raised a total of more than $30,000. Supporters will
also enjoy delectable hors d' oeuvres donated by Ruth Chris
Steak House while bidding on silent auction items.
The Swim launched
a Hartford Chapter in 2005 and is dedicated to raising funds
for cancer patients and their families in the
Hartford area. In its first year, the Swim Hartford Chapter
was extremely pro-active, hosting a Miniature
Golf Tournament and
a "Smile a Mile for Cameron Walk" to benefit a
child from the Hartford area with a rare form of cancer.
Kelli
Cilbrith and Mitch McGrath are the co-hosts of the Swim
Hartford Chapter and will also hold two benefit nights at
the New Britain Rock Cats games during the 2006 season.
For more
information about the Swim Hartford Chapter, call Kelli or
Mitch at 203-526-3935 or 860-874-8998.
Sailing
Regatta Cocktail Party Ready to Set Sail
Set sail for the 2nd Annual St. Vincent's Swim Across
the Sound Sailing Regatta benefit cocktail
party at Black Rock Yacht Club in Bridgeport May 15th from
7-10 p.m.
The evening will feature musical entertainment,
cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and silent auction at the
Black Rock Yacht Club overlooking St. Mary's by the
Sea. Hosted by Mary Daley, Nancy Gill, and
Maureen Pelletier, the evening highlights dozens
of silent auction items,
ranging from works of art, gift certificates
to vacation trips.
Tickets are $50, which can
be purchased in advance. For more information,
contact St.
Vincent's
Foundation, 203-576-5451. Last year, the Sailing
Regatta Silent Auction was one of the highlights of the
Swim, raising
more than $15,000.
 Swim's
Hartford Chapter Presents a Scrapbooking & Stamping
Forum
Bring your own supplies and beverages. A light lunch & pasta dinner will
be served.
$35.00 per person
100% of proceeds will be donated to assist patients and their families
in the Hartford Area battling with Cancer.
Saturday May 20,
2006
10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Farmington Lions Club/Camp Happy Hill, West Avon Road
For more information & to register, please email: swimhartford04@sbcglobal.net
or phone: Mitch McGrath @ 860-874-8998 or Kelli Cilbrith @ 203-526-3935
 DiMatteo Family 1st Annual Golf
Tourney Tees Off for the Swim
The DiMatteo Family Charitable Foundation will
host its first annual golf tournament to benefit
in part St. Vincent's Swim Across the Sound on
May 22nd, 2006.
The tournament will take place at Woodbridge
Country Club, 80 Woodfield Road in Woodbridge.
The cost
is $200 per golfer and $800 per foursome.
Registration
and buffet starts at 11:00am. Golfers will
tee off at 12:30pm in a shotgun
start and play a best ball format.
Cocktails
will follow at 6 p.m. with a dinner and silent
auction to follow. Sponsorship
packages are available. For more information
or to
register, contact
203-924-4811, ext. 18 or resposito@dimatteoinsurance.com.
 5th
Annual Swim Golf Tourney
Tee off with Swim Across the Sound this spring at the 5th Annual St. Vincent's
Medical Center Swim Golf Tournament. The Swim Golf Tournament will take place
on May 23rd at Whitney Farms Golf Club in Monroe. Registration and lunch
are at 11 a.m., the scramble format tournament tees off at 12:30 p.m.
The entry fee for individual golfers is $300. Gold Sponsor is $5,000, which includes
admission for four players and naming on signage. Silver sponsorship is $2,500,
which also includes admission for four players. Hole sponsors, which include
admission for one player, are $500.
Golfers will enjoy a buffet lunch and dinner
at the Stone Barn Restaurant at the golf club. Following the tournament, there
will be a silent auction, including
sports memorabilia and other prizes. Awards and prizes will be presented to
golfers who have the first place low net and gross team
scores will be awarded.
Last year, the event raised over $70,000 to raise cancer awareness and help
cancer patients battling their disease. All fees will benefit the Swim's 34 cancer,
education, support and awareness programs.
For entry applications, sponsor commitment forms and information, please contact
Ralph LoStocco at 576-5687 or 203-576-5451.
 Rock
Cats Pitching for the Swim
Swim Across the Sound Night @ New Britain Stadium!
Rock Cats (Minnesota Twins) vs. Trenton Thunder (New York
Yankees)
Monday, July
24, 2006
Gates Open @ 6:05 PM -
Game Time @ 7:05 PM
Rock Cats Players will
be signing autographs in the Concourse for
30 minutes after the
gates open. Swim Across the Sound will
hold a sports memorabilia
Silent
Auction during the game. Half the proceeds of your ticket go back to Swim
Across the Sound. A portion of pink Rock
Cats items sold during the 2006 season will
go to Swim Across the Sound.
Shop At the Swim Online Store
Do your gift shopping at the Swim Store. Click
here to visit the Swim Online Store and peruse all the great items. All purchases benefit the 34 Swim cancer
education,
screening,
prevention, and support groups.
Walk
the Walk, Talk the Talk
The Swim welcomes new volunteers who want to make a difference
in their community and the lives of cancer patients. All
you need is compassion. To volunteer, call St. Vincent's
Foundation – 576-5451 or visit the Swim website, www.swimacrossthesound.org.
Remember the Swim
Of all the worthwhile causes, few meet the work the Swim does in helping others. There are many ways to help the Swim:
- Donate to Swim events;
- Participate in Swim events;
- Name the Swim in your will;
- Donate a planned income gift;
- Volunteer;
- Run your own Swim fundraiser.
For more information, call the Swim Foundation at 203-576-5451.
St.
Vincent's Medical Center's Swim
Across the Sound is turning the tide against cancer.
The Swim has a unique
mission to help cancer patients in need. The Swim raised $2.5
million in 2003 and helped 18,000 cancer survivors and their
families throughout Southern Connecticut.
This is not a research
program, but a charitable foundation dedicated to helping
people on a case-by-case basis. The Swim has grown into a
series of year-round activities focused on raising funds to
underwrite 34 cancer education, screening and support group
programs. |
