The year’s annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim fundraiser has marked a major milestone, having raised $1.5 million over the past 40 years for Easter Seals and projects supported by the Rotary Club of Peterborough.
At its meeting on Monday (April 27) at the McDonnell Activity Centre in Peterborough, the Rotary Club of Peterborough announced that this year’s event raised $51,286.35, bringing the 40-year total to $1.5 million.
The club presented a cheque for $12,000 to Andrea Peterson of Easter Seals Ontario and a cheque for $3,000 to Shannon Hunter of the YMCA for the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. The remaining funds will support the work of the Rotary Club of Peterborough in the community and the work of Rotary around the world.
Sponsored by Baker Tilly and Holiday Ford Lincoln, the 40th annual swim was held on February 27 at the YWCA of Central Ontario’s Balsillie Family branch in Peterborough. The theme of the event was “1986” in recognition of the year the event was founded by Carl Oake, who passed away in January 2025 at the age of 79.
When the local businessman and Rotarian founded the swimathon, he swam 120 pool laps solo until the event was expanded in the early 1990s to include teams. He continued to participate each year until 2016, when hernia surgery sidelined him, but he returned to the pool in 2017 for his final swim. Prior to that, he announced his three daughters would be taking over the reins of the event.
During Monday’s meeting, Rotary also awarded prizes to two teams who participated in this year’s event. Team World Barbie, the top fundraising swim team, received tickets to see the Century 21 Peterborough Lakers and The Crocodile Dundees, the team with the best costumes, won a game-worn Peterborough Petes helmet and game-worn Century 21 Lakers gear.
