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As we are all stuck at home and with Lake Tahoe just down the road from my house, swimming in the lake everyday for a year, without a wetsuit, gloves or booties seemed like a worthy and unique challenge. At the moment the water is very cold, some might say freezing cold, so I'm hoping that you'll deem this a crazy enough endeavour to make a generous donation to good cause! 

I started on September 18th, 2020 and I have been in everyday since. Now I know I can actually do it (initially I wasn't sure I'd be able to), it's time to ask for your help in raising money for Cecily's Fund. Cecily was a childhood friend of mine and the charity created in her name works directly with local partners to help make education possible for orphaned and vulnerable children in Zambia. Please take some time to visit their website for more information but rest assured your donation will do lots of good for children who have very little.  

With your encouragement, I will continue to swim in the lake everyday for a year - 365 days - no matter how cold it gets or how much snow I have to wade through to get in! Initially I said the minimum time for it to count would be ten seconds but that now seems too short. I usually stay in for about 3 minutes. The lake is currently 42°F (5°C) and will probably get a little colder before it starts to warm up around May. I will continue to get in every day, regardless of whether the air temperature is below freezing or if we are in the middle of a 4-foot dump of snow (more of that please Mother Nature!) For those of you that might be curious, my coldest swim to date was on January 25 - the air was 23°F (-5°C) and the water 42°F (5°C). If I'm out of town and unable to get in the lake, I'll make it up by going for two swims in one day when I get home, or I'll find a comparably cold place to go for a swim wherever I may be. Due to the pandemic, I'm pretty sure I'll just be at home. I have been keeping a journal recording each swim for those who want to see proof that I have done it!

Thanks for your time and your donation!

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