Breath Strokes more than doubles fundraising goal

Summerside –Organizer Barb McNeill says an event held on Saturday to raise money for the P.E.I. Lung Association was a huge success.
“It was phenomenal,” described McNeill. “It feels really good to give something back to the community.”
McNeill organized Breath Strokes for Healthy Lungs in honour of her dear friend Arlene Lefurgey who passed away due to a lung disease in 2009.
McNeill had a personal goal of raising $5,000 for the P.E.I.L.A. She was overwhelmed when her total raised reached more than $11,000.
Sixteen teams, consisting of about 100 swimmers, participated in the swim held at Credit Union Place.
“Each team spent 30 minutes in the water. Four teams swam at a time,” McNeill explained. “When people weren’t in the water they were cheering on the other teams.”
"It feels really good to give something back to the community." - Barb McNeill
She said she was thrilled with the age range of participants that showed their support.
“We had people there as young as five to well past 75 years of age,” said McNeill.
McNeill said with the success of Saturday’s swim, she is already hoping to make it an annual event.