Names&Faces: Greater Scranton YMCA Inaugural Lap Swim Challenge to raise money for swim team
Jun. 9—This week, staff writer Laura Rysz talks with Diana Dempsey about the upcoming Greater Scranton YMCA Inaugural Lap Swim Challenge, which raises money for the Stingray Swim Team and the Greater Scranton YMCA's automatic timing system.
Name: Diana Dempsey
Residence: Dunmore
Professional background: She is a retired aquatic director of the Greater Scranton YMCA. Dempsey served for 32 years and retired four years ago, and is working part-time for the YMCA taking care of the administrative part of the swim team.
Title: Planner. (Leslie Kopa also is working on this event with me)
Q: What was the inspiration behind having this inaugural event?
A: We were trying to come up with a fundraising event for our Stingray Swim Team that would be a fun way for our YMCA members as well as members of the community to have a fun competition available for all ages to compete while supporting our GSY youth swim team.
Q: Who is the event open to?
A: This event is open to everyone who would like to participate, as long as they can swim and are comfortable in water over their head. We will have five heats with a maximum of 12 swimmers per heat. Each heat will be a mixture of ages. The participants will let us know which heat they would prefer, and we do our best to have them in the heat of their choice. We will have a counter for each lane who will record the number of lengths in our 25-yard pools each participant completes during their 45-minute heat. We then will award each age group winner with a Lap Swim Challenge Medal. We also will be handing out prizes to heat winners for the most laps completed for their heat. The overall winner will receive a complimentary one-year Greater Scranton YMCA membership.
Q: What else will be on hand for the event?
A: We will have a concession stand throughout the event. Since this event is during Father's Day weekend, all dads who enter the event get to eat at the concession stand free. We also will have music playing in the pool area. We have several sponsors for the event including: Miller Bean Funeral Home (gold sponsor); Center City Print (silver sponsor); Bee's Backyard, Henry's on Clay, Honey Child's and The V-Spot (T-shirt sponsors); the O'Donnell family (age group sponsor); and the Kopa family, Chrissy Laboranti and Marin Purcell (honorable mention sponsors).
Q: What is the estimated amount you hope to raise?
A: We are hoping to raise $3,000 to $4,000.
Q: How will proceeds be used?
A: We will be using a portion of the proceeds to provide our swimmers with team gear such as fins and hand paddles as well as team shirts and swim caps. We hope to begin raising funds to upgrade our automatic timing system, which would be about $10,000.
Q: Why is community support so important to your cause?
A: The YMCA is here to help provide needed programs for our community. This event, while a fundraiser to help our swim team, also is an opportunity for all members of our community to come together for a fun afternoon. Some of those who may want to come may not have access to an indoor pool, or the camaraderie of an event like this. This could be an opportunity for a family to swim together, or friends to swim together in friendly competition. While we need the support of our community, we also hope to provide this event for our community.
Contact the writer:
570-348-9100, x5228.
