Courtesy: Wild Bill Swim
The second annual “Wild Bill Swim,” Sunday, August 20, is destined to be bigger, better and even more beneficial, with the added mission of funding swimming lessons to 200 third-graders.
Held on the shores of Lake Quacumquasit — South Pond — in Brookfield, Wild Bill offers a swim for every age and ability level, from the challenging three-mile open-water swim to the leisurely one-mile “floatella,” and many in between.
Last year’s inaugural event, a fund-raiser for lake preservation, far exceeded sponsors’ and organizers’ most lofty goals. It started as an idea by Jennifer Yorzyk-Triger simply as a way to honor her father, the late Olympic Gold-Medalist Dr. William “Bill” Yorzyk, by preserving the lake he lived on and loved for many years.
The event was so much more.
“It got people out training for the swim, it got kids outside with their families, it got neighbors together who had never even met, and volunteers came out of the woodwork — the community unified, which is something I didn’t expect,” Yorzyk-Triger said.
Wild Bill raised $4,000 for lake preservation, much to sponsors’ delight. The money was donated toward a matching grant to conduct an alum treatment at the lake that meant so much to Bill.
“I remember when we were planning last year, thinking that having 50 swimmers would be outrageous,” Yorzyk-Triger said, then smiled. “We had 75.”
Yorzyk-Triger thinks part of the event’s success is its broad appeal — it provides a unique, local challenge for the serious swimmer, suits the newbie who is happy doing a one-miler, and is perfect for the trendy “floatella” crowd, which travels on a variety of fun, colorful floaties.
In addition to the three-mile open-water swim, which has a maximum swim time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, there are one & two mile open-water swims, a one-mile paddleboard loop, and a one-way 400-yard swim. Start times and fees are available on the event website wildbillswim.org.
There are also fun activities for the family, entertainment , the Floatilla on the South Pond Beach, where every swimmer will be celebrated when they return to shore. When all are back, there will be a large raffle. Everyone is urged ot join the after-[arty at Oakholm Brewery and enjoy a Wild Bill Beer, a Wild Carrol Seltzer and a Wild Bill pizza with everything on it!
The funds raised this year — Yorzyk-Triger’s “outrageous” goal is $50,000 — will be shared with a second mission to teach 200 local 3rd-graders swimming and water safety by funding swimsuits, goggles and transportation for four weekly lessons for all of the students at the Southbridge YMCA.
‘Wild Bill’
“Wild Bill” Yorzyk shattered all existing records and took the Gold Medal at the 200-meter butterfly at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, just seven years after learning to swim as a freshman at Springfield College.
Information is available through email Yorzyk-Triger at [email protected], through Instagram @wildbillswim, the Facebook page, The Wild Bill Swim & Paddle Challenge, and the Youtube interview Channel, Wild Bill Swim – JYT
Personal Donations can be made to
https://www.gofundme.com/f/wild-bill-swim-2nd-annual
Marketing & Advertising sponsorships can be discussed by emailing Jenn at [email protected].