Swim for Sanctuary organisers seek to raise $1.5m
Organisers for the second staging of the Swim for Sanctuary Open Water championships said that they are hoping to raise $1.5 million from this year’s event.
The championships, which will be staged by the Jamaica Inn Foundation, will be held at the White River House, Shaw Park Beach in St Ann on Saturday.
Alan Beckford, meet director, said that he is expecting a very exciting championship because some of the country’s best swimmers will be on show at the event.
“This event is the second renewal of the championship and we are really pleased with what has been happening because we have had some really good sponsors that have come on board, and everything is in place to have a wonderful event,” said Beckford.
“We will have live results using the race results software and age group competitors will be receiving awards and we will have lovely gift packages for the overall winners as well,” he said.
The championships is set to start with a 5K and 3K event, then the 2K event followed by the 1K race, the 500 metres, 500 metres paddleboarding, and the 4×100 metres relay event.
Among the top local swimmers were Zachary Randle, Dirk Harrison, and Lance Rochester, along with female competitor Christanya Shirley.
Beckford also shared that a number of overseas competitors are also down to compete at the championship.
“The money will go to the White River Fish Sanctuary, which has been doing a wonderful job,” Beckford said.
“The fish population has increased significantly in this area and, of course, this is used like a nursery for the fishes so that when you go out into the sea you have better sized fishes,” he said.
“They are also replanting the coral reef as well, and so generally speaking it is all about working for the environment so that we can continue to enjoy our beautiful beaches and our swimmers swimming in nice clean water so that is one of the real general emphases of race as well,” Beckford said.
The White River Fish Sanctuary, which was established five years ago by the Jamaica Inn Foundation in tandem with the area’s fishers’ association, is a no-take zone of 370 acres, covering approximately three-and-a-half miles of coastline from St Ann to St Mary.
