Over 250 Swimmers To Participate In Friends of Virgin Islands National Park 18th Annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim
PRESS RELEASE
St.John, US Virgin Islands, May 5, 2021 — Friends of Virgin Islands National Park’s annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim helps raise funds for marine conservation and youth programs like Learn To Swim. This year over 250 participants will be swimming down St. John’s North Shore beaches from Maho to Cinnamon or Trunk or Hawksnest on Sunday, May 30 in the 18th Power Swim event.
“Last year we were forced to get creative and host a virtual Beach To World swim which was incredibly successful,” says Tonia Lovejoy, Acting Director, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park. “As fabulous as that was in terms of community engagement and fundraising, we are incredibly happy to have everyone back in the water this year enjoying the azure ocean and white sand beaches that make our park so special.”
Recognized as one of the most beautiful open water swim meets in the world, the event includes:
- Cinnamon Short Course for solo swimmers only from Maho Beach to Cinnamon Beach (1 mile)
- Trunk Intermediate Course for solo swimmers only from Maho Beach to Trunk Beach (2.25 miles)
- Hawksnest Long Course for solo swimmers from Maho Beach to Hawksnest Beach (3.5 miles)
- Relay Long Course for 3-person relay teams from Maho Beach to Hawksnest Beach (3.5 miles). The relay team transition points will be at Cinnamon Beach and Trunk Beach.
With over 250 swimmers already registered for this important fundraiser and community event, space is now limited so anyone wishing to swim should register as soon as possible. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 28. Two practice swims have already taken place with the third and final practice swim from Maho to Cinnamon or Trunk or Hawksnest depending on swimmer preference scheduled for Sunday, May 16 at 8:00am.
In addition, the Friends encourages anyone who can’t be there in person but would like to support to create a crowd funding page on the Friends website and swim virtually wherever they are.
Friends Learn To Swim Program
After a year long hiatus, the Friends’ Learn To Swim program that offers free swim lessons to all ages will be running throughout the summer. On Saturday, May 29 everyone is invited to a Community Swim at Oppenheimer Beach from 10:00AM to 2:00PM to learn about the program, evaluate skill levels, and start a summer of free lessons. Swim lessons will be conducted by Red Cross trained and certified instructors and a lifeguard will be on duty.
Volunteers and Sponsors
This event is made possible thanks to volunteers and sponsors in the Virgin Islands community. The business sponsors supporting this event are: 340 Real Estate, St John Insurance Agency, St. John Hardware, USVI Tourism, TOPA Insurance Group, TOPA Properties, 1First Bank, Paradise Lumber & Hardware, Maho Crossroads, Baker Magras & Associates, Salty Daze/Salty Deck, Merchants Commercial Bank, Mongoose Junction, Rotary Club of St. John, Seaside Properties, Cruz Bay Landing, Windspree Vacation Homes, St. John Provisions, Alfredo’s Landscaping, Love City Threads, St. John Physical Therapy, WVGN NBC, 104.3 Buzz Radio, St. John Brewers, Stream2Sea, deSigns, Joshua Tree Kitchens and Custom Carpentry, Reef2Peak, TShirt1, Virgin Islands Expedition Company,Art By Adren, VIP Awards & Engraving, Specialities Plus of NC, United Healthcare, Little Olive, Islandia Real Estate, Great Horizons Construction, VI Body Spa, VI Eco Tours, Kate N Designs, Muilenburg Law LLC, PropertyKing, Chelsea Drug Store, Gallows Point, Arawak, The Longboard, Storage on Site, Dolphin Market, St.John Coastal, Virgin Islands Daily News, and St. John Dinghy Rental.
The Friends is seeking volunteers to help in the water with boards, kayaks, dinghys, and boats, as well as on land with timing, and organization tasks on Race Day. Anyone interested in helping out on Sunday morning, May 30 should please contact Jennifer Stone at jstone@friendsvinp.org or (340) 779-4940.
Information on the Beach to Beach Power Swim as well as the programs it funds can be found on the Friends website at https://friendsvinp.org/power-swim/
