Swim for Life brought the Provincetown Community Compact to life
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Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla shines through tropical storm
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Provincetown Harbor swim component postponed to 2020; Great Pond Wellfleet swim a success
With a redirected swim route along the Provincetown shoreline due to the risk of seals and sharks in the deep waters off Long Point, a tropical storm slammed the town over last weekend that resulted in the postponement of the Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla’s swimming component for the first time in its thirty-two year history. However, the rest of the weekend activities went on with heightened energy and warmth.The storm held off for the highly anticipated Celebration of Life Concert at the UU Meeting House on Friday night, but was in full force Saturday morning. At the Boatslip Resort, swimmers, volunteers, organizers and supporters braved the rain and wind to register their pledges with the Seamen’s Bank crew, enjoy music by Zoe Lewis, feast at the Mermaid Brunch catered by Far Land Provisions and applaud the awards presented by Swim director Jay Critchley.The Great Pond Satellite Swim of the Swim for Life, the first of its kind, which was held at Great Pond in Wellfleet, was successfully rescheduled the to 1:00 pm on the day of the Provincetown Swim. With reduced wind and grey skies, the swimmers swam the circumference of the pond and were greeted by a small group of supporters at the stairway finish line. Joan Nagle spearheaded the Wellfleet event, with a supportive permit from the Wellfleet Selectboard.Top Swim for Life swimmer fundraisers include:
Jim Youngerman, Lenox, MA $$18,026.00
Jonathan Scott, Provincetown, MA $7,801.00
Gene Landis, Amesbury, MA $6,161.00
Jon MacClaren, Walpole, NH, $5,905.00
Barbara Jo Ravelle, Gainesville, FL $4,515.00
Circle of Honor awardees (those who have swum ten times or raised $10,000), include:
Barbara Ann Morrison, Melrose, MA
Scott Helms, Hull MA
Rob Johnson, Cambridge
Jen Burgos, Wakefield, MA
Raphael Richter was awarded the David Asher Volunteer award for his community activism, including serving on the Provincetown Board of Select, transporting swimmers at the Swim on the Mayflower Trolley and the Funk Bus for years, and providing free transport for townspeople to Orleans to food shop during the Stop & Shop strike last winter. Richter and Circle of Honorees received handcrafted medallions from Christie Andresen of Taqwa Glassworks. The 2019 t-shirt was designed by Vicky Tomayko.Because of a shortfall in contributions due to this year’s challenging circumstances, the Provincetown Community Compact is appealing to supporters to help make up the difference. Beneficiaries
AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod (ASGCC)
Helping Our Women (HOW)
Outer Cape Health Services
Provincetown Rescue Squad Association
Lower Cape Ambulance Association
Soup Kitchen of Provincetown (SKIP)
Provincetown Schools
The Compact Community Fund
Accessible Provincetown
West End Racing Club
Cape Cod Children’s Place
The 2019 lead sponsor of the Swim for Life is Seamen’s Bank; media sponsor is the Provincetown Banner. Also, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Berta Walker Gallery, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Art’s Dune Tours, WOMR 92.1 FM and. The event also receives support from the Provincetown Visitor Services Board.The 33rd Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla is scheduled for September 12, 2020. Thank you for your support!
Storm Update: Swim for Life swimming component postponed until 2020, weekend festivities continue
/First the seals, then the sharks, and now Dorian. With heartfelt emotion, after much deliberation, The Compact has decided to
postpone the swimming component of the Swim for Life event until next year
. Safety has always been our priority and the expected high winds and seas would be dangerous for both swimmers and kayakers in the water. This is the first time in 32 years this has happened!
Swim for Life weekend activities, however, will go on as scheduled. Let's celebrate our years of community building together!
include:
The Celebration of Life Concert Friday at the UU Meeting House at 8;
Registration and the Mermaid Brunch with Far Land Provisions, music by Zoe Lewis, t-shirts, Prayer Ribbons and the Awards Ceremony, all at the Boatslip, 7:00-11:00am Saturday, regardless of the weather.
There are still limited openings for the Great Pond Swim in Wellfleet (see below).
The Swim has supported crucial services to the year round community since 1988 and the needs remain the same. These environmental challenges are a reminder to us of the importance of a community coming together and carrying on its mission. Please help us to maintain the level of support we have provided to the following organizations:
AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod (ASGCC)
Helping Our Women (HOW)
Outer Cape Health Services
Provincetown Rescue Squad Association
Lower Cape Ambulance Association
Soup Kitchen of Provincetown (SKIP)
Provincetown Schools
The Compact Community Fund
Accessible Provincetown
West End Racing Club
Cape Cod Children's Place
For those wishing to help us make our fundraising goal please
.
We are pleased to present Raphael Richter, a community-minded and Swim volunteer - the Funk Bus, the David Asher
this year at the Mermaid Brunch.
Thank you for your loyal support of Provincetown and the vital year round services this event supports. Hope to see you soon.
Peace,
Jay Critchley
Medallions for Circle of Honor recipients by Christie Andresen of Taqua Glassworks.
Swim for Life, Provincetown Harbor
Registration
Friday, Sept 6, Seamen's Bank, 5-8 pm
Saturday, Sept 7, Boatslip, 7-8 am
At the Boatslip, Saturday Sept 7
The Mermaid Brunch, 9:00 am
Ham and Cheddar Strata with Chives
Spinach, Feta and Sun Dried Tomato Strata
Cauliflower Couscous Salad
Kale and Chick Pea Salad with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing
Fruit Salad
Assorted Cookies
by Far Land Provisions
by Far Land Provisions
Music: Zoe Lewis
Awards Ceremony, 10:00 am
Those unable to attend may bring their pledges to Seamen's Bank, downtown Provincetown, or mail to: The Compact, P.O. Box 819
Provincetown, MA 02657
Great Pond Swim in Wellfleet
Registration
Seamen's Bank, Rt 6, Wellfleet, Friday, Sept 6, 10am - 4pm
Swim Start
Saturday, Sept 7, Great Pond, 7:30 am
The Great Pond Swim is scheduled, weather permitting (please sign up and you'll be notified tomorrow afternoon)
limited to 50 swimmers, 19 spots available)
. This distance is approximately a mile and will encircle the shoreline of the pond.
Thank's to the Town of Wellfleet.
Please sign up in advance for the Great Pond Swim here
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Fundraising, Sign-ups, and other details
It's not too late to support the Swim.
Collect pledges online:
.
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and collect pledges in person.
Consider a
.
Let us know if you have been a Swimmer for
10 years
or
25 years
. There are special prizes and recognition for you.
Thank you for your loyal support of Provincetown and the vital year round services this event supports. See you soon.
Peace,
Jay Critchley
Raphael Richter receives Swim for Life Volunteer Award
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The Provincetown Community Compact has selected Truro resident and community minded businessman Raphael Richter to receive the David Asher Volunteer Award at the 32nd Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, set for September 7 at the Boatslip Resort, Provincetown. The award highlights his service as a town leader, Swim for Life supporter and his stepping in to provide transport to townspeople to Orleans for grocery shopping during the recent Stop & Shop shut down.Richter is a man on the move. Think Funk Bus, Mercedes Cab, Cape Cab and the Mayflower Trolley. He recently made a move with his family from Provincetown to Truro, headquarters of his fleet of party and mini buses with funky skins and state of the art sound systems. Yes, let’s get the party started!Raphael is a hometown boy whose family’s journey took him to live in several Cape towns as well as Boston’s North and South shores. He returned to finish high school in Provincetown and has dug into the community with passion and creative entrepreneurial vision ever since. Beginning with partner Ricky Macara at Mercedes Cab, he noticed a need for safe and fun group transport and, with the flair of the late Pearlene, created the pink Funk Bus with eyelashes! It was a hit, and the idea spread Cape wide like the flash of an eyelash.Raphael’s community service is exemplary, serving three years on the Provincetown Select Board, with his last year as chair, personally taking up the mantle of the need for community housing. This led to the town’s overwhelming approval to buy a 28-unit condominium complex for workforce market-rate housing. At the Swim for Life, Raphael has provided transport for years for swimmers to MacMillan Wharf for boat transport to Long Point. This year the Swim start will move to the Provincetown Inn beach due to the increased seal population in the deep waters off Long Point and concern for swimmer safety. The Mayflower Trolley is co-owned by Raphael and Michael Glasfeld, owner of Bay State Cruises, a Swim for Life business sponsor.Perhaps the most touching example of Raphael’s sensitivity to the needs of the community was his quick response to the recent Stop & Shop shut down during the two-week union strike. This left townspeople food insecure, many without transportation to the nearest supermarkets in Orleans. The Funk Bus stepped in and provided free daily roundtrip rides to Orleans for anyone in need.Raphael and his wife Vida have a two-year-old son and a girl on the way this fall. Vida is co-owner of the Nor’East Beer Garden in Provincetown. He presently serves on the board of the Community Development Partnership and on the Truro finance committee.The 32nd Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a benefit for AIDS, women’s health and the community, is set for September 7, 2019 at the Boatslip Resort and Beach Club. Swimmer, volunteer, boater, kayaker and walker sign up is at the Boatslip Resort, 161 Commercial Street, Provincetown from 7:00-8:00am. Early registration will be on Friday at Seamen’s Bank, Provincetown, from 5:00-8:00pm.The new shoreline Swim will start earlier at 8:00am from the Provincetown Inn to the Boatslip due to the early high tide. The Mermaid Brunch and awards ceremony will follow. The public is invited. Also new this year is a fresh water swim at Great Pond in Wellfleet on the same day.For full details and information go to www.swim4life.org thecompact@comcast.net
Provincetown Swim for Life announces new harbor course
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Provincetown Swim for Life announces new harbor course for the annual fundraiser on September 7; a one-mile shoreline swim from the Provincetown Inn to the Boatslip.After thirty-one years swimming across Provincetown Harbor from Long Point to the Boatslip, the 32nd annual Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla is changing course. The appearance of white sharks due to the increased seal population has created concern for swimmer safety in the deep waters off Long Point. For this reason, the course of this important Provincetown tradition and fundraiser, set for September 7, will move closer to the town’s West End shoreline, from the Provincetown Inn to the Boatslip Resort, 161 Commercial Street. Walkers will also be invited to participate this year as well.Also new for this year is a Swim for Life event at Great Pond in Wellfleet, running simultaneously with the Provincetown event. The Wellfleet Board of Select unanimously approved the permit and waived the fee. The fresh water swim will be limited to 50 swimmers. This distance is approximately a mile and will encircle the shoreline of the pond.With high tide at 6:37 am in Provincetown on Swim day, the event will start at 8:00 am. The new route is a mile swim along the town’s West End Shoreline, engaging neighbors and businesses along the way. Swimmer, boater, kayak, safety boater and walker registration is at 7:00-8:00am at the Boatslip. Transportation to the Swim start will be by trolley, or for those inclined, walking along Commercial Street. There will be early registration for all participants at Seamen’s Bank, downtown Provincetown, on Friday, 5:00-8:00 pm before the Celebration of Life Concert at the UU Meeting House at 8:00 pm.“The Swim was created to honor the pristine harbor, which is the lifeblood of the town. The increased presence of seals and sharks in our waters is a harbinger of changes in the environment. And swimmer safety is paramount,” states Jay Critchley, Director of the Provincetown Community Compact (The Compact), sponsor of the Swim for Life.“These changes continue our celebration of the harbor’s ecology. This is about the resilience of the Swim, the community and the planet,” he added. Rising water temperatures and currents are pushing whales and lobsters north while the town becomes more vulnerable to ocean flooding.This year's t-shirt by Vicky Tomayko is a simple and stunning symbol of the fragility of our environment and the frog’s shape shifting evolution from water to land, reflecting on the transformation of the natural and civic environment in direct and dramatic ways. The 100% organic cotton t-shirt is available at Seamen’s Bank, downtown Provincetown.The Swim for Life ignites a passion for the community from people across the US and beyond who care about the well being and sustainability of the town. The Compact invites everyone, from its business sponsors to the local community, to rally to this reinvigorated event.Anticipating such a change, The Compact Board of Directors has closely monitored this situation for several years, consulting with the Provincetown Harbormaster, the US Coast Guard, the Cape Cod National Seashore, swimmers, boaters and scientists. The change became necessary this year when the Cape Cod National Seashore denied the permit for the Swim start at Long Point. The Compact has long been committed to swimmer safety, including helping with the installation of buoys for tracking shark activity, supporting the White Shark Conservancy and contributing financially to the Woods Hole Group contracted to study shark mitigation.The Swim has learned over the years that creating and nurturing community is its grandest offering. Since 1988 it has raised over $6.5M for year round services and community well being. “The Swim for Life has supported our clients and work from the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic and the Swim’s unwavering assistance helps ASGCC provide life-sustaining services throughout the year. Our gratitude to the Swim for Life cannot be understated,” states Dan Gates, Acting CEO of the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, one of the beneficiaries.Gwynne Guzzeau, Executive Director of Helping Our Women, writes that for 20+ years, the Swim has funded approximately 25% of HOW’s annual budget. “It is a chance to be together in community and to serve women in need at a time in need,” she states.The 32nd Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a benefit for AIDS, women’s health and the community, is set for September 7, 2019 at the Boatslip Resort and Beach Club. For details and information about swimming, walking, volunteering and kayaking, and the Great Pond Swim go to www.swim4life.org thecompact@comcast.net
Swim for Life Adjusts Course with shoreline swim; cites environmental changes
/After thirty-one years swimming across Provincetown Harbor from Long Point to the Boatslip, the annual Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla is changing course. The appearance of white sharks due to the increased seal population has created concern for swimmer safety in the deep waters off Long Point. For this reason, the course of this important Provincetown tradition and fundraiser will move closer to the town’s shoreline. Walkers will be invited to participate as well.The tides will require the shoreline swim and walk to begin earlier, with details to be announced shortly. In addition to the Provincetown Harbor Shoreline Swim on September 7, there will be a “Satelite Swim” in Great Pond in Wellfleet, pending approval by the town. This fresh water swim is approximately a mile and will follow the shoreline of the pond.“The Swim was created to honor the pristine harbor, which is the lifeblood of the town. The increased presence of seals and sharks in our waters is a harbinger of changes in the environment. And swimmer safety is paramount,” states Jay Critchley, Director of the Provincetown Community Compact (The Compact), sponsor of the Swim for Life.“These changes continue our celebration of the harbor’s ecology. This is about the resilience of the Swim, the community and the planet,” he added. Rising water temperatures and currents are pushing whales and lobsters north site while the town becomes more vulnerable to ocean flooding.The Swim for Life ignites a passion for the community from people across the US and beyond who care about the well-being and sustainability of the town. The Compact invites everyone, from its business sponsors to the local community, to rally to this reinvigorated event.Anticipating such a change, The Compact Board of Directors has closely monitored this situation for several years, consulting with the Provincetown Harbormaster, the US Coast Guard, the Cape Cod National Seashore, swimmers, boaters and scientists. The change became necessary this year when the Cape Cod National Seashore denied the permit for the Swim start at Long Point. The Compact has long been committed to swimmer safety, including helping with the installation of buoys for tracking shark activity, supporting the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and contributing financially to the Woods Hole Group contracted to study shark mitigation.The Swim has learned over the years that creating and nurturing community is its grandest offering. Since 1988 it has raised over $6.5M for year round services and community well-being. “The Swim for Life has supported our clients and work from the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic and the Swim’s unwavering assistance helps ASGCC provide life-sustaining services throughout the year. Our gratitude to the Swim for Life cannot be understated,” states Dan Gates, Acting CEO of the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, one of the beneficiaries.Gwynne Guzzeau, Executive Director of Helping Our Women, writes that for 20+ years, the Swim has funded approximately 25% of HOW’s annual budget. “It is a chance to be together in community and to serve women in need at a time in need,” she states.This year's t-shirt by Vicky Tomayko is a simple and stunning symbol of the fragility of our environment and the frog’s shape shifting evolution from water to land, reflecting on the transformation of the natural and civic environment in direct and dramatic ways.The 32nd Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a benefit for AIDS, women’s health and the community, is set for September 7, 2019 at the Boatslip Resort and Beach Club. For details and information about swimming, walking, volunteering and kayaking, go to www.swim4life.org thecompact@comcast.net
2019 UPDATE: Swimmer Safety a priority for Swim for Life
/PROVINCETOWN. July 25, 2019. The safety of swimmers is the number one priority of the Swim for Life. It requires a coordinated effort from Swim medical personnel and the Provincetown Rescue Squad on shore, and kayakers, safety boats, the Harbormaster, US Coast Guard, the Center for Coastal Studies and lifeguards on the water to ensure the safety of each and every swimmer. The event is required to submit a Incident Plan permit application with the US Coast Guard that includes safety precautions and back up boats and kayaks to ensure swimmer support.
With the increased public awareness of the growing seal population and the white sharks that prey upon them, the Provincetown Community Compact, sponsor of the Swim for Life, has teamed up with the Chatham-based Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and Rex McKinsey, Provincetown Harbormaster, to increase public awareness of these creatures and assist in researching their behavior, movement and the range of their habitat. A working group has been formed that includes the six towns on the Lower Cape and the National Park.We recently donated $2,000 to the Woods Hole Group that is studying mitigation interventions regarding seals, sharks and humans, due this fall. This follows The Compact’s mission of enhancing the well being of the community, connecting the economy, environment and the culture.In 2016 two receiver buoys, along with a buoy at Herring Cove, were installed to assist in this research - one on the south side of Long Point, and one off the shore of Truro. While these receivers will only record the presence of a tagged white shark in the vicinity, as well as the identity of the shark, the recorded sitings are significant for long-term research purposes. These transmitters do not provide real time information but rather data for scientific analysis. Additional buoys have been installed this summer.
The Compact recognizes there is a risk to swimmers, but the Swim follows the best scientific findings to date. Here is Provincetown Harbormaster’s Facebook posting: “Don't swim, paddle or surf near or play with seals (and they bite); don't swim or surf at dawn or dusk; don't look like a seal (imagine what a surfer and board looks like from under water); stay in groups, and be vigilant”. A recent video by the Conservancy, National Park and the Mass Division of Marine Fisheries is available for viewing. There is a working group of Lower Cape communities and the Cape Cod National Seashore to coordinate education and response.The Center for Coastal Studies, the Provincetown Harbormaster and the US Coast Guard will sweep the harbor for shark sitings on the morning of the Swim for Life, September 7.The 2019 lead sponsor of the Swim for Life is Seamen’s Bank; media sponsor is the Provincetown Banner. Also, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Berta Walker Gallery, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Art's Dune Tours, WOMR 92.1 FM and. The event also receives support from the Provincetown Visitor Services Board.The1.4-mile swim across Provincetown Harbor has raised $6.5M for AIDS, women’s health and the community. Organic, 100% cotton t-shirts, design by Vicky Tomayko, are available for sale at Seamen’s Bank, downtown. The public is invited to greet the swimmers on the Boatslip deck on September 7 beginning at 11:00 am, followed by the Mermaid Brunch and awards ceremony. Also join us for the Celebration of Life Comcert at the UU Meeting House on Friday, September 6 at 8pm, produced by John Thomas.If you have a motorized boat, we would welcome your assistance for transportation and safety. For information for swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers, contact: thecompact@comcast.net, and www.swim4life.org Take the Plunge!
Swim returns to environmental roots
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The environmental concern that spawned the Swim for Life is even more urgent today.In 1988 my friend Walter and I were hanging out and swimming regularly at the Boatslip beach – back then there seemed to be time for that, when beaches around New England were closing due to medical wastes washing up. Not in Provincetown Harbor. Across the expansive waters Long Point Light beckoned us to test our resolve by swimming across the sparkling bay. In late August we found a boat to follow us and we arrived at the harbor beach exhilarated. No blue fish nibbled on us as we were warned.We decided to invite others to make this exquisite journey, and the first Swim for Life was created to raise funds for a disease that was ravaging the community – HIV/AIDS.I look back thirty-one years later and think about the evolution of this event and the risks we faced: hypothermia, unprepared swimmers, swimmers swimming in the wrong direction, swimming into a sunfish and a vegetarian basking shark, all seemingly life threatening at the time. And then the sad day when an entangled whale appeared right before the start of the Swim and we were forced to alter the route to start from the Boatslip beach, swimming out half way across the harbor and back. Unfortunately, the whale did not collect pledges.In the mean time, the water temperature of the harbor has increased to an unprecedented 70 degrees during the last couple swims and the seal population has exploded. The white sharks followed. Nature is forcing us to take notice. Climate change is colliding with the town’s economy as whales and lobsters edge their way north for colder feeding grounds. Flooding is the new normal in town and historic buildings are being raised in response to sea level rise.The image for this year’s 32nd Swim for Life, set for September 7, a frog created by Truro artist Vicky Tomayko, was chosen as a symbolic sign of our vulnerability to a transforming climate and our resilience to respond. Frogs are ecological indicators that are sensitive to an unpredictable climate. They breathe partially through their skin and are amphibians – water to land. Our harbor is designated a harbor of refuge. As the Swim for Life returns to its roots and assesses the risks of swimming across the harbor’s 1.4-mile distance, and the town monitors the economic, environmental and cultural effects of global warming, let us embrace and guide the community’s response as we move into unchartered territory. www.swim4life.orgSwimmer and kayakers may sign up here.Volunteers sign up here.
Installation of the Prayer Ribbons at Orlando City Hall Plaza - this Friday at 2 p.m.
/Prayer Ribbons Exhibition returns to OrlandoLuis M Martinez AliceaFor the third year in a row, the Provincetown Community Compact and residents of Provincetown, Massachusetts are honored to share a memorial strand of Prayer Ribbons with the families and the community of Orlando. The colorful ribbons include beautiful messages to recognize the loss of people to AIDS and the 49 Pulse victims.Following the Pulse tragedy, the Provincetown Community Compact remembered the victims at site a special ceremony at Provincetown Town Hall. Each victim’s name and age, which was inscribed on a black Prayer Ribbon, was read aloud and attached to part of the 2,800 Prayer Ribbons accumulated over 29 years at the annual Provincetown Swim for Life.Swim for Life is an annual event where swimmers cross the harbor of Provincetown to benefit AIDS survivors and the community. As part of this event, they incorporate multi-color ribbons hanging out from a cord on the river shore where people write the names of those lost to AIDS to honor them.The Prayer Ribbons Exhibit will run from June 7-16, 2019 at Orlando City Hall Plaza.City residents and visitors are encouraged to join the prayer ribbon community by adding a person to honor and/or a message to a ribbon. A table will be placed in the City Hall Rotunda with forms for people to write messages and mail it to the Provincetown Community Compact.Installation of the Prayer RibbonsFriday, June 7th2:00 p.m.Orlando City Hall Plaza Media Opportunities:Jay Critchley, founder and director of Provincetown Community Compact, a nonprofit organization that created the Prayer Ribbons, will be available for media interviews.Local LGBTQ+ leaders will be also helping us install the ribbons and available for media interviews.Contact to coordinate the interviewsLuis M. Martinez407.246.4128 (office)407.383.2073 (mobile)luis.martinez@cityoforlando.netFor more information: thecompact.org/prayer-ribbons.html
The 31st Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla,
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Sponsored by the Provincetown Community Compact, attracts 392 swimmers; honors Gene Landis for twenty-five swims and lifeguard volunteer Gordon Miller.
2018 Swim for Life Photo AlbumPhotos: Mike SyersOctober 3, 2018Over four hundred swimmers plunged into the warm but choppy waters of Provincetown Harbor at the 31st Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla on September 8. With 75 kayakers and over 40 safety patrol boats, the 392 swimmers arrived safely to cheering crowds at the Boatslip beach. All were invited to the Mermaid Brunch on the Boatslip deck, catered by Far Land Provisions, with entertainment by Zoe Lewis.Highlights of the Swim include honoring Gene Landis of Amesbury, Massachusetts with The Compact Long Point Award for swimming twenty-five years, and presenting Cape Cod National Seashore lifeguard, Gordon Miller, with the David Asher Volunteer Award for organizing contingents of Lower Cape lifeguards for the Swim for twenty-six years. The Compact also welcomed leaders of its “Think-ubator” program, including Kristen Becker of Summer of Sass, Harriet Korim of Cape Cool and Stephen Cohen, who is researching the historic Long Point and Helltown communities.The legendary Celebration of Life Concert, in its 25th year and produced by John Thomas, was held the evening before at the Unitarian Universalist meeting House. A 2018 t-shirt, with a design by artist Ellen LeBow inspired by Ellen’s humanitarian work in Haiti, was given to all swimmers, kayakers and volunteers.The event raised an estimated $250,000, bringing the total raised since 1988 to over $5.5M to support AIDS, women’s health and the community. Top fundraisers include:Jim Youngerman, Lenox, MA at $18,200Jonathan Scott, Provincetown at $14,601Mike Dively at $ 9,000, Winter Park, FL (celebrating his 80th birthday)Barbara Jo Revelle at $ 7,525, Gainesville, FLGene Landis at $ 6,526, Amesbury, MATimothy Schirmang at $ 5,007, Wellfleet, MAJon MacLaren at $ 4,258, Walpole, NHFrancey Beall/Kathryn Rafter, $ 4,077, Dallas, TX and ProvincetownJeff Giles at $ 3,631, Jamaica Plain, MATeam Joan (Nagle) at $3,500, Boston, MA.Although the Swim is not a race, each swimmer is timed.The fastest male swimmer is Justin Burkhardt from Cape Elizabeth, ME at 30:45, and the fastest female swimmer is Nellie Thompson from Wellesley, MA at 33:21.Two US Coast Guard boats, along with four auxiliary Coast Guard boats and the full support of the Provincetown Harbormaster were joined by the Center for Coastal Studies and a phalanx of charter and recreational boats to provide emergency and safety support. Swimmer safety has become a heightened concern in light of the rising seal and shark populations in the area. The Provincetown Rescue Squad was on shore along with the event’s medical team.“With safety our primary focus, we are blessed once again with the community’s support that brought our magnificent harbor to life,” stated Jay Critchley, director and founder of the Provincetown Community Compact, sponsor of the event. The Compact is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this year.Those who swam ten years or raised $10,000 joined the Circle of Honor and received handcrafted medallions from Christie Andresen of Taqwa Glassworks:Jane Barber, Breckenridge, CO and ProvincetownRebecca Armstrong, Pownal, VTMichael Kennedy, Cambridge, MABoe Morgan, Moving Violations Team, Roslindale, MANancy Ballard, Medfield, MAEdward Nardell, Brookline, MAClaire Levine, Arlington, MA.Fifty-five swimmers and kayakers, who raised enough pledges to join the $1,000 Club, selected gift certificates from $10,000 worth of prizes donated by seventy-five businesses and individuals. Town officials, including Select Board Chair Louise Venden and Town Moderator Mary Jo Avellar.Business sponsors of the 2018 Swim for Life include: the Provincetown Banner (media sponsor), Seamen’s Bank (lead sponsor), and the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Resort & Beach Club, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Harbor Hotel, Berta Walker Gallery, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Art’s Dune Tours, WOMR 92.1 FM, ProTools and Seashore Point.Other businesses and organizations that supported the event include: Mayflower Trolley, CeeJay, Schooner Hindu, Flyer’s Boat Rentals and Aquasports. Provincetown Visitor Services Board, Provincetown Chamber, Provincetown Business Guild, Blue Coast beverages, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Cod Paper, DFlax and Perkins Food.The Swim funds a wide range of community organizations that include: AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Accessible Provincetown, The Compact Community Fund, Provincetown Schools, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s Place.The 32nd annual Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla will be held September 7, 2019. For more information: www.swim4life.org.
CCNS Lifeguard Gordon Miller receives Swim for Life Volunteer Award
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Since 1997 Gordon Miller, longtime Cape Cod National Seashore lifeguard has organized Park Service and other lifeguards to provide safety on the water during the Swim for Life. At one event be recalls a tired swimmer who hung onto the back of his board as he paddled to shore and they discussed James Joyce’s epic novel, Ulysses. With a degree in English literature and a masters in philosophy, Gordon was in heaven.“This is an exciting event and I want to give back to the community,” he states enthusiastically.This year he will receive the David Asher Volunteer Award at the 31st Swim for Life, set for September 8 at the Boatslip. The awards ceremony, set for 1:00pm (or after the last swimmer arrives safely on shore) is open to the public. The community is also invited to greet the swimmers arriving from Long Point beginning at 11:30 am, and to partake of the Mermaid Brunch at noon. Gordon was born in the small town, Bolivar, Tennessee, named after the famous South American revolutionary, Simon Bolivar, into a family of eight siblings. His dad owned a grocery store and his mother was a civil rights activist. He became fascinated with the opportunities site of working at various national parks while in college, beginning with his first summer gig at Arcadia National Park in Maine. He started lifeguarding at the Seashore in 1985 and now supervises the north district, which includes Head of the Meadow, Race Point and Herring Cove beaches, with over 20 lifeguards.To assure a stable crew of workers, the Seashore provides housing and even includes an extra week of housing for lifeguards who stay to work at the Swim.During winters, Gordon spends time in Maui, Hawaii, where for years he worked as a dorm councilor at the oldest colonial school east of the Mississippi, Lahainaluna High School. This unique and expansive campus overlooking the ocean began as a Christian, missionary boarding school in 1831.Business sponsors of the 2018 Swim for Life include: the Provincetown Banner (media sponsor), Seamen’s Bank (lead sponsor), and the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Resort & Beach Club, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Harbor Hotel, Berta Walker Gallery, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Art’s Dune Tours, WOMR 92.1 FM, ProTools and Seashore Point.The Swim funds a wide range of community organizations that include: AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Accessible Provincetown, The Compact Community Fund, Provincetown Schools, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s Place.Swimmers, boaters and volunteers are welcome. Swimmer and boater registration begins at 9:00 am on September 8. We are particularly looking for any size motorboats to provide back up to swimmers and kayakers on the water. Swim 2018 t-shirts, designed by Ellen LeBow, are available at Seamen’s Bank in downtown Provincetown. For more information go to www.theswim4life.org or jay@thecompact.org
Ellen LeBow’s Swim for Life design inspired by her Haitian experience
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The creative human spirit pervades all that artist Ellen LeBow touches. There are no boundaries between her studio work and the communities she has nurtured around her, from her Wellfleet family to her long-term project in Haiti. Since 2013, she and her partner Seth Rolbein became legal guardians of two 15-year old Haitian girlsIn the late 1990s, in a village on the island of Ile de la Gonave, Haiti, she and Christine Low saw the women battling to feed their families as the men had less means to make a living in traditional farming. Thus was born Art Matenwa, harnessing women’s latent creativity to provide more economic stability for their families.From the beginning, they were challenged by the fragile ecological balance of the area with its limited wood and water.“Learning to hand-paint brilliant imagery on silk scarves offered an elegant solution,” Ellen explains. “Low-tech, unbreakable, an ideal vehicle for self-expression. And scarves are a traditional accessory for Haitian women,” she adds.
Inspired by her work in Haiti, Ellen designed this year’s Swim for Life t-shirt with an inspired Tree of Life image set in a boat. The original pencil drawing was color designed by Andrea Pluhar. The100% organic cotton shirts are available at Seamen’s Bank, downtown Provincetown.For twenty years, Art Matenwa has thrived under the sponsorship of the Provincetown Community Compact’s unique Think-ubator program, which nurtures short and long term initiatives of residents of the Lower Cape, providing administrative and strategic support and tax-exempt fiscal sponsorship. The Compact is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.Ellen will share her experiences with Art Matenwa at a special community reception at The Residences at Seashore Point on Friday, August 24 from 6:00-7:30pm. The event is free and open to the public and includes refreshments, entertainment and door prizes. Ellen also opens an exhibition of her work at Rice Polak Gallery in Provincetown on Friday, August 17 at 7:00pm.Business sponsors of the 2018 Swim for Life include: the Provincetown Banner (media sponsor), Seamen’s
Bank (lead sponsor), and the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Resort & Beach Club, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Harbor Hotel, Berta Walker Gallery, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Art’s Dune Tours, WOMR 92.1 FM, ProTools and Seashore Point.The 31st Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, which has raised $5M for AIDS, women’s health and the community since 1988, will take place September 8, 2018. For swimmer, kayaker, boater and volunteer information, go to thecompact.org
Celebrating our 25th year of nurturing community.
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tree of life
The quintessential Provincetown tradition, the Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, enters its fourth decade, raising funds for AIDS, women’s health & the community. The 31st Swim for Life will take place on Saturday, September 8 in magnificent Provincetown Harbor. Swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers from across the US and beyond are invited to participate in the 1.4-mile harbor crossing. The annual, post-Labor Day event, which has raised over $5M for the community since its inception in 1988, and includes the Celebration of Life Concert, the Mermaid Brunch and the Awards Ceremony.The public is invited to greet swimmers here beginning at 11:30am on the day of the Swim. followed by the Mermaid Brunch on the Boatslip deck. The brunch is open to the public and is catered by Far Land Provisions. Provincetown’s own international performing artist, Zoe Lewis will provide the entertainment.The Celebration of Life Concert, produced by John Thomas, will be held the evening before, on the 7th of September “The Compact, celebrating 25 years as a community building organization, is proud to support and nurture our vibrant community on this spiral spit of sand we call home," states artist and director, Jay Critchley.The Swim for Life builds community and provides year round funding and support for social services, youth and educational organizations that include: AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, Outer Cape Health Services, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Accessible Provincetown, The Compact Community Fund, Provincetown Schools, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s Place.This year’s t-shirt design, created from a Tree of Life image from Haiti and designed by Ellen Lebow with Andrea Pluhar, will be available at Seamen’s Bank on Commercial Street in Provincetown by mid July.Personal fundraising pages for for swimmers and kayakers, may be set up through the Swim website:www.swim4life.org. Those unable to attend the Swim in person this year, might consider a Satellite Swim in another location, such as a nearby pool.Business sponsors include: Provincetown Banner (media sponsor), Seamen’s Bank (lead sponsor), and the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Resort & Beach Club, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Harbor Hotel, Berta Walker Gallery, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Art’s Dune Tours, WOMR 92.1 FM, ProTools and Seashore Point.Swimmers, kayakers, boaters, volunteers and friends of the Swim for Life may contactwww.swim4life.org for registration, pledge sheets and volunteer opportunities.
Swim for Life in Mexico!
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There were no borders between Provincetown USA and La Manzanilla, Jalisco, Mexico this winter. Summer resident Arthur Richter recently brought the Swim for Life to this Pacific coastal town and it embraced the event with over one hundred participants, raising ,700 USD for the town’s elderly.“The whole town came out! We doubled our expectations,” Richter exclaimed.Richter is a board member of the Provincetown Community Compact, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and a longtime swimmer. For years he swam with his grandson Max as well as annually soliciting $10,000 in prizes from businesses for the top swimmer fundraisers. He lives in Barrington, Rhode Island.His contagious enthusiasm for the Swim for Life while vacationing in this seaside town inspired local residents Leti Hernandez and Conrado Martinez Serrano to organize the event, “Nadando por Ellos”. Along with the fifty-five swimmers, there were sixty walkers who also helped raise pledges. The community is already planning another event in 2019.The 31st Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, which has raised over $4.5M for AIDS, women’s health and the community, will be held September 8, 2018.www.swim4life.org
The 30th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla attracts a record 421swimmers and raises an estimated $225,000; swimmer Shawn McNulty, with daughter Nicole, is top fundraiser at $35,215; Provincetown Harbormaster’s Office honored; surprise marriage proposal accepted.
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PROVINCETOWN, MA. With hurricane Irma looming on everyone’s mind, the 30th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla welcomed a record 421 swimmers to the seasonally warm waters of Provincetown Harbor with a light northeast breeze and sunny blue skies. This post-Labor Day community celebration and fundraiser generated an estimated $225,000 for AIDS, women’s health & the community, with critical support from 150 volunteers. Swimmers hailed from as far away as London, Amsterdam and Quebec.Swimmer Shawn McNulty of Provincetown, along with his daughter Nicole, raised a record $37.000.00 in pledges from 350 individual donors.The weekend event kicked off on Friday with the inspired Celebration of Life Concert at the UU Meeting House, produced by John Thomas.
“This event highlights the importance and effectiveness of government and the community working together to assure the safety of its residents and visitors. We are grateful”, stated Jay Critchley, Director of the Provincetown Community Compact, sponsor of the event. He remarked before the Swim, “The oceans have no borders. We will be thinking of our brothers and sisters devastated by hurricanes as we swim across the harbor.”Assistance on the harbor was provided by the Provincetown Rescue Squad, US Coast Guard, Provincetown Harbormaster and the Cape Cod National Seashore, along with the Center for Coastal Studies and 75 kayakers and power boats.The Swim for Life, headquartered at the Boatslip Beach Club, included the Mermaid Brunch, catered by Far Land Provisions, with entertainment by Zoe Lewis, followed by the awards ceremony. Rex McKinsey and Luis Ribas of the Provincetown Harbormaster’s Office were honored with the David Asher Volunteer Award for their years of critical Swim support and their volunteer contributions to the community. James Cote of Brooklyn surprised his boyfriend, Keith Atchison, with a public marriage proposal, which he accepted, to the delight of the crowd.The Wellesley High School swim team presented their rousing cheers at the Boatslip and at the Swim start at Long Point. Handcrafted medallions by Christie Andresen of Taqwa Glassworks were awarded to swimmers who have swum ten times or raised $10,000 in pledges. Circle of Honor recipients include: Christopher Flynn of Boston and Reenie Desabrais of Chicopee, MA.
Seventy-two swimmers and kayakers raised over one thousand dollars each in pledges and joined the $1,000 Club, receiving prizes from local businesses totaling $10,000 in value. Following McNulty, other top fundraisers include: Jim Youngerman, Lenox, MA, $17,142; Jonathan Scott, Provincetown, $10,001; Barbara Jo Revelle, Gainesville, FL, $7,198; John MacClaren, Walpole, NH, $6,123; Paul Mast, Waldwick, NJ, $5,904; Team Chris Nagle, Eastham, $5,000; and top kayaker fundraiser, Maureen Desabrais of Chicopee at $3,000.Although not a race, times are recorded for personal best. The fastest male swimmer was Justin Burkhardt of Cape Elizabeth, ME at 28:40. Top female finisher, at two seconds behind Burkhardt, is Kristen Read of Arundel, ME at 28.42. The oldest female swimmer was Joan Nagle, 83, of Eastham, and the oldest male was Robert Callender, 74, of Tiburon, CA. Abby Walker was the youngest swimmer at nine years old, swimming the distance in a “Satellite Swim” in a pool over the summer.
Swim for Life business sponsors include: Seamen’s Bank (lead sponsor); Provincetown Banner (media sponsor), and the Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Boatslip Beach Club, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Crown & Anchor, Harbor Hotel, Berta Walker Gallery, Mussel Beach Health Club, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Art’s Dune Tours, ProTools and Seashore Point.Special thanks to Peregrine Theatre Ensemble, Mosquito Story Slam, DFlax, WOMR FM, Dunes Radio, Kathryn Rafter and Francey Beall, Allan MacKinnon, Provincetown Aquasports, the Funk Bus and Mayflower Trolley, Cee Jay, Dog Gone Sailing, John Salvador, Schooner Hindu, Flyer’s Boat Rentals and numerous volunteer boaters.
The fundraiser builds community and provides year round funding and support for social services, youth and educational organizations that include: AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod and Helping Our Women, primary beneficiaries; and Outer Cape Health Services, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Accessible Provincetown, The Compact Community Fund, Provincetown Schools, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s Place.The 31st Provincetown Swim for Life is set for September 8, 2018.For more information: www.swim4life.org www.thecompact.org
Is there a place beyond love? Yes says Jonathan Scott. Awe!
/Late last summer he was able to slowly walk across Herring Cove Beach and fall into the water, managing to swim a few yards. A year of intestinal cancer treatments, including ten months in bed, had left Jonathan Scott feeling like an alien. But he instinctually came home to the water, swimming had always been his comfort zone.
At sixty, living with AIDS for thirty years, Jonathan mourned the loss of many friends to the pandemic who had missed the last thirty years of their lives. They had formed a unique family that organized the annual Esther Williams Water Ballet and Bathing Suit Competition. This historic shopanabolics.biz and decidedly queer event was held on July 4th at Herring Cove Beach during the 1980s, and Jonathan reigned as a resplendent Esther herself, tiara and all.He soon shifted his energy to his work as director of the Victory Programs in Boston, and to the Swim for Life. In Boston, he created twenty programs that treat addiction and homelessness, including the Boston Living Center, the first of its kind in the country to treat HIV and addiction.He says that Provincetown is a model community for the world, and the Swim for Life shows us the power of community.“There is no other event like the Swim for Life,” he states, “it’s magic and brings together all the things I love, the full circle of life. It’s an amazing bridge between generations, those that never went through the plague.”Jonathan is now back on track to swim again on September 9 for his fourteenth time. Provincetown is now his pemenent home, and he is grateful to his longtime husband, full name?? , and their fourteen-year old son, Luis, for their loving support. He makes a daily trip to Herring Cove Beach for his 7:00 am swim, and then collects stones in remembrance of all his lost friends. On the morning of the Swim he visits Pilgrim Park and ritualistically places the stones on the name markers of loved ones, including his lover who died twenty-four years ago.Jonathan’s journey has brought him to an understanding of what it means to be human, to a place beyond love. To the existential question, what does it mean to be human? Awe is his response. The wonder and mystery of life, of Provincetown, of the Swim, of his family.Join Jonathan on September 9 at the Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla. Swimmers, kayakers, boaters and volunteers are welcome. Contact: www.swim4life.org Take the plunge!
Tracey Primavera: Vulnerability can change the world
/She’s the smiling lady who sat on the Post office steps in the evening sharing her vision for the planet. Tracey Primavera had a mission of bringing peace to the world – one rainbow peace flag at a time. For a decade, until 2014, thousands of people agreed to join her, hanging them from flagpoles, decks, boats and storefronts throughout the town, the country and the world.
As a massage therapist she created a supportive healing practice, while caring for her 84 year-old father who she moved from New York City to Orleans a decade ago. Life was good.In 2015, however, things went awry. A perfect storm of serious health issues, loss of her home of fourteen years and her father’s deteriorating health left her, suddenly, homeless. The healer needed healing, but felt ashamed and vulnerable when she reluctantly walked into the office of Helping Our Women and remarked, “Other women are more deserving of help than me.” She was terrified to ask for help because she would seem weak, but was told that she deserved to be cared for. And the community responded with such generosity that her father remarked, “No one does this!”“The capacity of HOW and its safe space for bearing witness to another is breathtaking beyond measure,” she states from one of her many speeches she gives sharing her journey from independence to interdependence. “Vulnerability can change the world,” she proclaims.Along with HOW’s social service advocacy and financial and emotional support, including Cape Air tickets to Boston hospital appointments, Tracey also lived for free in three different homes while homeless. And she was given a jeep – her dream car, received gifts cards and lots of hugs, and finally, was selected for an affordable housing unit at Sable Path for her and her father.Helping Our Women, along with the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, are major beneficiaries of the Swim for Life, set for September 9 this year. Other beneficiaries include: Outer Cape Health Services, Soup Kitchen of Provincetown, Provincetown Rescue Squad, Lower Cape Ambulance, Accessible Provincetown, The Compact Community Fund, Provincetown Schools, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s PlaceFor information and ways to participate, go to www.Swim4Life.org.
William Yepes: swimming to citizenship
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His passion is swimming. Yet William Yepes had reason to be afraid of his first harbor Swim for Life in 2010. Not only was open water swimming a challenge, but he was afraid his asthma would kick in, which it did. He hailed a kayaker over and was ready to call it quits when he asked how far was the finish line. Only 300 yards away, he was told. “I can do that!” he proclaimed as the asthma attack disappeared and off he went. “It’s surprising how strength comes from unknown places”, he recalled.He cried when he first visited Provincetown. How could this be? A place where it felt safe to be who you are? Born in Colombia with one parent Catholic and the other Evangelical, William was used to living in a fractured world, where hiding his sexual identity was survival. When he had the good fortune to attend a summer program at Harvard, friends kept encouraging him to visit the little fishing village on Cape Cod.A couple days before his return to Colombia he took the ferry to town and arrived during Family Week. The “river of gay crowds and families” stunned him. He cried all the way on his bike to Race Point Beach, where ironically, he felt comforted by more familiar families. He went back home to Colombia with a taste of what was possible.
William then took a teaching job at a private religious school in rural Florida but lost his green card after the director suspected he was gay. He decided to stay in the US and followed his instincts, discovering the Ft Lauderdale LGBTQ swim team. He found a new home.He soon returned to friends in Boston and joined the LANES Swim team, which included participation in the annual Swim for Life. One year he managed to swim the 1.4-mile distance doing only the butterfly.“There is always a time out in the water where you are alone and afraid. The only way I can conquer my fears is knowing there is a shore on the other side, and people waiting to receive me. This is what Provincetown is about.”The legalization of same sex marriage allowed William and his partner to marry in 2013, and in June he became a US citizen. And adding to that, he had the surprising fortune to bring his eighth-grade class to meet US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. At an emotional meeting he had that opportunity to thank her for the important decisions she helped craft, particularly same sex marriage. He asked her what she wanted his students to take away from this meeting, she spoke, “We need to become activist and speak for the causes that are close to our hearts.” He and his students were all in tears.Join William September 9 at the 30th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla: www.swim4life.org
Provincetown Swim for Life reception at Seashore Point, Tuesday, August 22
/The Residences at Seashore Point invites the public to a reception celebrating the Provincetown Swim for Life’s 30th anniversary on Tuesday, August 22 from 6:00 -7:30pm. Seashore Point, located at 100 Alden Street, is a sponsor of the Swim for Life.The event will feature stories from swimmers Mark Boucher and Arthur Richter, and tales from longtime Swim volunteer Jan Kelly, a Seashore Point resident. A surprise performance is planned.
A short documentary film will also be shown about the Swim for Life Prayer Ribbons* by Lise King, and their journey to the US Capitol in Washington, DC, and to Orlando Florida. In Orlando, a special strand of Ribbons was shared with the families of the victims of the nightclub shooting.For more information about the 30th Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, set for September 9, contact: www.swim4life.orgLight refreshments, wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served beginning at 6pm. There will be door prizes at the event.Parking is available behind our building. Access off from Jerome Smith Road through the cemetery, follow the signs.* The Provincetown Swim for Life, sponsored by The Provincetown Community Compact, was established in 1988 to bring the community together and empower those affected by HIV. At this annual fundraiser, which has raised $4M+ for AIDS, women’s health and the community, the public is invited to honor people in their lives – both living and deceased – by inscribing a message on a five-foot long colored ribbon. These Prayer Ribbons are a visual witness to a community that has moved well beyond fear and hatred.
