Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to participate in person in the September 11th event.

The 34th Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla will require all participants at its September 11th event to show proof of vaccination against the COVID-19 virus. Mask-wearing and social distancing protocols will be established closer to this legendary fundraiser.

“The Swim for Life is a quintessential Provincetown tradition offering financial support to ten health and human service organizations in Provincetown and throughout the Cape. It is our responsibility to prioritize the safety of our participants, both in the harbor and on shore,” stated Jay Critchley, founder and director of the Provincetown Community Compact, sponsor of the event.

The Swim for Life has raised over $5M since 1988 for AIDS, women’s health and the community.

This year’s new shoreline swim route will run along Provincetown Harbor’s East End from the Harbor and Breakwater Hotels at Snail Road to the new town-owned East End Waterfront Park (387 Commercial Street), a 1.2 mile distance. The Swim will start at 2:00 pm, coinciding with high tide The Mermaid Tea, catered as usual by Far Land Provisions, will be served under a tent at Waterfront Park. Registration will remain at its traditional location on the expansive deck of the Boatslip Resort & Beach Club from 11:30 am -1:00 pm.

The public is invited to greet the swimmers at the finishline beginning at 2:00 pm at Waterfront Park and to attend the Mermaid Tea, with music by Zoe Lewis.

For those who prefer fresh water swimming or who are “harborly-challenged” by sharks, an alternate Swim events will take place at Wellfleet’s Great Pond. Those unable to Swim on the Cape in person are invited to participate virtually – Swimming in Place. During the 2020 pandemic, swimmers, bikers and paddlers participated and raised pledges in twenty-six states. 

“The Swim and the community made waves in response to HIV/AIDS and now we have a renewed mission to strengthen our resilience as we act to create a more diverse and equitable future,” states Critchley. “Let’s come together, safely, once again, in a joyous celebration in the town that we all love and support.”

Beneficiaries of the September 11 Swim include: the 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 in Provincetown (SKIP), Provincetown Schools, The Compact Community Fund, Accessible Provincetown, West End Racing Club and Cape Cod Children’s Place.

Business sponsors include: Seamen’s Bank, Fanizzi’s Restaurant, Provincetown Banner, Boatslip Resort & Beach Club, Lobster Pot Restaurant, Far Land Provisions, Cape Air, Bay State Cruise, Berta Walker Gallery, Art’s Dune Tours and WOMR 92.1, with support from the Provincetown Visitor Services Board. New sponsors this year include: Provincetown Aquasports, Cape Cod 5, Cranberry Square Dermatology, The Palette Fund, Arthur H. Platt Trust and b/well Cannabis Dispensary.

Artist Jim Youngerman, longtime Swim for Life swimmer from Lenox, MA, has created the 2021 Swim for Life design. For registration details and donations, contact Swim4Life.org. 

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