What Happens Here Matters
Valiants Pitch in at Swim for Life
On Sunday September 9th, 2007 members of Manhattanville’s men’s hockey team joined up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and lent a hand at the 16th annual Hudson River Swim for Life, a 5K swim across the Hudson River that has been raising funds for various local charities since 1991.
This year’s Hudson River Swim for Life benefited the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Friends of Claire, and the Family YMCA at Tarrytown. The event began in Nyack, N.Y. and finished across the Hudson River at Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow, NY.
Evan Dietz, Arlen Marshall (Quill Lake, Saskatchewan) and Victor Nordenson (Stockholm, Sweden) arrived early to beat the sunrise at Kingsland Point Park to assist with set-up and racer registration. Dietz, Marshall and Nordenson worked hard to ensure that the tents were set up, unload vans, ensure proper signs were in place, and set up the public address system prior to the event’s commencement. As the over 220 swimmers and over 130 kayakers began to arrive, Dietz, Marshall, and Nordenson handed out race gear and assisted with checking in racers.
“It was great to get out and help in the community,” Marshall, a sophomore forward, said. “The community has been very supportive of our team and we are definitely happy to help out wherever and whenever we can.”
Later in the day, a second group arrived to help with event cleanup. Luke Brisebois, Brendan McIntyre (Ottawa, Ontario), and Jared Mullen (Roanoke, Va.) were able to enjoy the perfect day along the Hudson River as they took down tables and chairs, loaded vans, and cleaned up Kingsland Point Park after the conclusion of the race.
“Seeing all of the participants and volunteers come together for a good cause was nice to see,” Brisebois said. “I’m glad we could help out.”
“We really appreciate the guys coming out, they worked very hard.” said Diandra Kodl, who was in charge of volunteers at the event. Since the Hudson River Swim for Life’s conception in 1991, over $1.2 million dollars has been raised for local charities and the men’s hockey team is proud to have taken part in the success of this event and hopes to continue volunteering with the Hudson River Swim for Life for years to come.