This year's St. Thomas Swimming Association Snapple Swim-O-Thon is going to have new twist, a biathlon.
The 14th annual event, sponsored by Snapple, distributed by Bellows International, is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 17 at Magens Bay, shed #2.
For runners, joggers and early risers, the biathlon begins at 7 a.m. at the same location. The STSA has partnered with the St. Thomas Roadrunners Association to host the event, which is a half mile swim and a 3.1 mile run. Registration for the biathlon is $10.
The Swim-O-Thon challenges participants to swim as many 50-meter lengths as possible in one hour's time. Sponsors support the swimmers' efforts based on the number of lengths they set as their goal. A total of 3536 lengths, or 85 miles, was swum by 142 swimmers at in last year's event.
The fund-raising event supports exclusively STSA's 13-year endeavor to construct a Community Aquatic Center in Estate Nazareth. Phase one, pouring of the "shell" of the pool along with electrical and plumbing installations, was completed in June last year. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises provided the seed money needed for that phase of the project, along with the continued endorsement of Snapple, now in its 10th year of sponsoring the Swim-0-Thon, and other corporate and individual donors.
Phase two of the project, walls, side decking, utility room foundation and further infrastructure work began Feb. 12. STSA is a not-for-profit organization which has provided swimming programs, competitive swimming and aquatic certification to more than 9,000 residents of St. Thomas and St. John.
STSA spokeswoman Kathy Huttel said the annual fund-raiser brings together the entire community—children, parents, businesses, swimmers and non-swimmers—and "it's lots of fun."
If you want to join in this year's "Strokes in the Right Direction" event, as a swimmer, sponsor or volunteer, call Huttel at 779-2500.
