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July 20. 2012 12:33AM
This weekend, more than 600 swimmers will descend on Keyes Pool in Milford for the 44th Annual Rotary Swim Meet. (UNION LEADER FILE)
Crowd expected for Milford Rotary swim meet
This weekend, more than 600 swimmers will descend on Keyes Pool in Milford for the 44th Annual Rotary Swim Meet. (UNION LEADER FILE)
MILFORD — More than 600 swimmers from across the Granite State will dive into the pool at Keyes Field this weekend for the 44th annual Rotary swim meet.
Ryan Hansen, president of the Milford Rotary Club, said the annual summer event is one that kids and grownups look forward to every year.
“I was a swimmer growing up and used to compete in this meet,” Hansen said. “It’s just a great time for everybody.”
The Rotary Club, which was instrumental in building the swimming pool at Keyes Field decades ago, began holding the meet as one of two major community programs it hosts each year. This year, 18 teams of swimmers from schools, recreation programs and private organizations are invited to participate in the meet. Hansen said the Rotary doesn’t charge a fee to join in the fun and games.
“This is something we do for the kids,” he said. “It’s hard for kids to have a chance to compete because so many town pools are going away, and the ones that are staying open are asking kids to pay an entry fee.”
Those fees keep kids who can’t afford to pay from competing, but the Milford Rotary Club doesn’t like turning anyone away. Instead, they make up for the money they expend on the meet by running a concession stand during the meet and also sell brightly-colored tie-dyed T-shirts throughout the two-day competition.
“It’s a break-even thing for us most years. Some years we lose money, but that’s okay,” he said. “For the kids, this is a meet they can depend on happening every year. It’s one of the oldest consistently-running Rotary meets in the country.”
The 85-member Rotary Club sees as its mission providing events like the annual swim meet and donating tens of thousands of dollars to scholarships, outreach groups like SHARE, and national and international goodwill projects.
Ryan said the swim meet is a great time for folks, even those who don’t swim, and he said he hopes people from the community come out to cheer on the kids and maybe even consider joining the Rotary Club.
Nancy Bean Foster may be reached at nfoster@newstote.com.
Ryan Hansen, president of the Milford Rotary Club, said the annual summer event is one that kids and grownups look forward to every year.
“I was a swimmer growing up and used to compete in this meet,” Hansen said. “It’s just a great time for everybody.”
The Rotary Club, which was instrumental in building the swimming pool at Keyes Field decades ago, began holding the meet as one of two major community programs it hosts each year. This year, 18 teams of swimmers from schools, recreation programs and private organizations are invited to participate in the meet. Hansen said the Rotary doesn’t charge a fee to join in the fun and games.
“This is something we do for the kids,” he said. “It’s hard for kids to have a chance to compete because so many town pools are going away, and the ones that are staying open are asking kids to pay an entry fee.”
Those fees keep kids who can’t afford to pay from competing, but the Milford Rotary Club doesn’t like turning anyone away. Instead, they make up for the money they expend on the meet by running a concession stand during the meet and also sell brightly-colored tie-dyed T-shirts throughout the two-day competition.
“It’s a break-even thing for us most years. Some years we lose money, but that’s okay,” he said. “For the kids, this is a meet they can depend on happening every year. It’s one of the oldest consistently-running Rotary meets in the country.”
The 85-member Rotary Club sees as its mission providing events like the annual swim meet and donating tens of thousands of dollars to scholarships, outreach groups like SHARE, and national and international goodwill projects.
Ryan said the swim meet is a great time for folks, even those who don’t swim, and he said he hopes people from the community come out to cheer on the kids and maybe even consider joining the Rotary Club.
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Nancy Bean Foster may be reached at nfoster@newstote.com.
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