Quebecers swim continuous relay race to raise funds for Ukraine
Posted June 18, 2022 5:14 pm.
Last Updated June 19, 2022 10:59 am.
Swimmers from across Quebec took to the pool Saturday to help those an ocean away.
More than 65 swimmers took part in the “Train for Ukraine” event to raise funds to help Ukrainians fighting the Russian invasion.
“At the beginning we thought, can we help enough?” said organizer Ginny Malcom. “Because there’s so many other organizations that are helping. And we thought at this stage there’s no help that is too little help. So we said, no, let’s go for it.
“We really couldn’t sit back and do nothing. We wanted to do something, not just giving to this organization and that organization, but do something actively involved in helping provide humanitarian aid to the citizens of Ukraine.”
Malcom says the event, which took place at the Malcolm Knox aquatic centre in Pointe-Claire, took only four weeks to put together.
#WATCH: “This is what we need to do,” says organizer and participant of fundraiser “Train for Ukraine” Ginny Malcom speaking on donations the fundraiser has collected totalling $15,000.#Ukraine #Montreal pic.twitter.com/cMo6Nm9DZu
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) June 18, 2022
The goal was for each team to swim a continuous relay-style race.
“It’s a good team and we all swim, first of all, to have fun together, but also to stay healthy and to help out with whatever,” said participant Farid Soliman. “There are world events that impact all of us, such as the crisis in Ukraine.”
“It’s very important to us,” added participant Gail Whittaker. “One, because of what’s going on over there. And secondly, our coach is Ukrainian.”
The fundraising campaign surpassed its initial goal of $10,000. The goal was then bumped up to $15,000.
The organizers expected to achieve that goal by end-of-day Saturday.
The funds will go to the Red Cross.
Relay swimmers at the “Train for Ukraine” fundraiser on June 18, 2022. (Credit: CityNews/Felisha Adam)
Soliman and Whittaker were part of a team of four whose cumulative ages were equal to 320. In addition to raising funds for Ukraine, the team’s goal was to break the Canadian free relay record – unofficially, of course.
“It’s four times 100 relay freestyle,” said Soliman. “And I believe we can break the national record today.”
But Whittaker says the win is for all swimmers in attendance
“They’re all part of this great group and they’re all trying to help Ukraine as much as they can.”
