Tom Wear Memorial Swim Pictures are now up!

Check out the link to hundreds of great pictures here:

http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2184852009/a=3817219_30892148/

Race Results!

Our race results are up! Check them out here:

Masters: http://www.compuscore.com/cs2009/sept/lkhopms2.htm

Open: http://www.compuscore.com/cs2009/sept/lkhopop2.htm

Quarter Mile: http://www.compuscore.com/cs2009/sept/lkhopqt2.htm

Nearly $7,600 raised in our charity event!

The preliminary results are in and we raised $7,588.83 AND COUNTING!!!

We will take final donations until this Friday. If you would like to contribute please visit the Wearhouse Grille on 181 North in Lake Hopatcong and enter your PAWS donations.

Thank you to everyone for your enthusiastic support! The animals will thank you all too!

Tom Wear Memorial Swim - Race Results!

First, congratulations to the over 100 swimmers who participated in this year's event! The water was chilly but the rain held off and we were tremendously successful in raising funds for the Jefferson Township Animal Pound (final tally on funds should be available by the end of the week).

Here are all of the medal results for today's race!

TOM WEAR MEMORIAL SWIM - RACE RESULTS

The swim is ON!

We are GO for Sunday even with the rain. Drive safely and see you bright and early!

Convenient form for same day registrants

If you are planning to register for the swim on Sunday, we strongly recommend that you come early (8am) and download and fill out our entry form:

http://freepdfhosting.com/d0b1608d8b.pdf

We have a hard stop for registration at 8:30am so we may prepare the timing chips. Don't miss out!

A message from our Race Director - Race Details!

We’d like to thank all swimmers pre-registered for the Tom Wear Memorial Swim. As of today there are 103 pre-registered swimmers and we are expecting more before race day and on race day.

Wetsuit Division - Many have asked about the use of wetsuits due to the unusually cold summer and recent weather. Currently the water temp is 72, but has been fluctuating between 68 and 70 on many days in our swim area. This week we are blessed with warmer days and nights and the temp is holding at night and increasing some days. Hopefully the water will stay at 72 for race day. We want everyone to have a great swim and be comfortable during that swim. Therefore, we setup a wetsuit division. You will start with either the open or USMS group but have a separate awards category. There will now be awards for a wetsuit division for overall 1-3rd place men and 1-3rd place woman. If you plan to wear a wetsuit please let us know during the registration process.


Shorter Distance Offering - Another popular question has been whether we plan to offer a shorter distance for those that are newer to swimming, or to open water swimming. We will now offer a .25 mile race starting at OH! Sullivan’s and finishing at the same location as others. If you would like to sign up for this option please let me know by Friday morning because we’re starting the pre registration process and numbering on Friday afternoon. There are different number sequences for each wave/race and if we don’t know until race day we’ll need to redo your registration numbering. Awards for top 3 overall men and woman will be given for this new distance.


Navigation is another popular question so we wanted to make sure everyone knew the course will be very well marked and the lake is generally very flat. Currently the course is a large triangle, but may be slightly changed if we find weed raking is not successful in one course area on Friday. Our goal is a nice well marked, weed free swim for all.


The weather forecast for Sunday morning is still sunny with rain starting later in the day. Since the temperatures are fluctuating we’ve purchased mylar blankets for each swimmer, which will be put around you upon completion of the race. Awards should begin approximately 20 minutes after the last swimmer completes the race. There is a one hour race limit since the Marine Police are stopping boat traffic for us. After awards the Wearhouse Grille will open early and serve a special breakfast menu for anyone interested in enjoying a post race meal. Other area restaurants are open as well.

There will be bathroom and porta potty facilities for use pre and post race.

As an additional fundraiser we’re hosting a tricky tray, candy and baked good sale where proceeds go to our selected charity, Jefferson Township Animal Shelter. Post race there will be water, coffee, tea and fruit available at no charge for all swimmers. We’ll also have a portable outside heater for those wanting additional warmth.


Schedule - Registration will be from 7:30 to 8:30am and must stop promptly at 8:30am so we can proceed with the swimmer’s meeting. At 8:45 we will begin line up by race numbers and division so all swimmers can be counted as they enter the water, and prepare to count upon exit. Safety will be our top priority of the day so we ask for everyone’s cooperation during this period. Those wishing to do the .25 mile distance can bring their belongings to the race start and we’ll bring them back to the finish for you. The race will begin promptly at 9am with the USMS Division and .25 race start, and the Open Division now starting at 9:03am. The Marine Police are stopping all boat traffic for our race so we want to be sure we are timely to avoid issues.



If you know others planning to register on race day please encourage them to come no later than 8am for registration because we must stop all registration by 8:30am. We don’t want anyone to miss out on this swim opportunity but we must comply with marine police schedule to be fair to all boaters.


Directions and Parking – The physical street address for registration is 157 State Route 181, Lake Hopatcong NJ 07849. There will be signage to guide swimmers to the event.

Where to park?
Please park in one of the following locations:
1. Wearhouse Grille
2. Lorettacong Drive (street across from the Wearhouse)
3. Route 181 Southbound by Wearhouse and Marinas (as long as your car stays inside of the white shoulder line...police will be checking this)
4. Oh! Sullivans (about a quarter mile walk)

Please do not park in the following locations:
In or in front of Flash Marina
In or in front of Lake Hopatcong Marina (next to Oh! Sullivans)
On 181 Northbound if you cannot stay inside the shoulder line


We look forward to meeting everyone on race day. Thanks again for your support by attending our event.


Bridgette Hobart
Race Director

Tricky Tray added to Race Festivities!

We are super pleased to announce that thanks to the generosity of many of our local businesses, we will be holding a tricky tray / penny auction during the event. Tickets may be purchased after registration is complete and just after the race is finished, and the drawings will be held immediately before medal awards.

Here are some of the great gifts contributed to our tricky tray!

$25 Gift Card - Wearhouse Grille
Shampoo, Cut and Blow Dry - Salon 181
3 month Gym Membership - Black Bear Fitness
Athlete Goodie Basket - Black Bear Fitness
$50 Grooming Gift Certificate - Candi's Scissors & Suds
$50 Boarding Gift Certificate - Pet Palace II
Autumn Mum Basket - Marilette's Flower Shop
$25 Gift Card - Bella Boutique
Chardonnay Wine Glasses - Burke's Wine & Liquor
2 month membership - Sparta Athletic Club
$15 Gift Card - Café Pirrot
Lenox China
Fall Scarecrow Arrangement
Weird NJ Book + Borders Gift Card
Baked Goodie Bag - Adam's Bagels
Fall Harvest Basket - Lindeken Farms

All proceeds will of course go to the Jefferson Animal Shelter!

Question of the day: what's the water temperature?

We have been diligently monitoring the water temperature on Lake Hopatcong. It has remained steady at 68 degrees and we don't expect a big change this week. We are evaluating the USMS race division wetsuit options as a result and will be posting more information about it tomorrow.

View of the Race Course

To all racers, volunteers and spectators!

This picture shows a bird's eye view of the Tom Wear Memorial Swim race course. As you can see, we begin near the Wearhouse Grille at the Prospect Point Boat Yard, then will swim towards the Mason Street Pub. "Fun Swim" participants get out here. The course continues southeast to Turn #2, then turns north, passing Oh! Sullivan's Woodport House before finishing up at the boatyard.

Click on the image to download a larger version.

What are the rules for wet suits?

We are watching the weather and the water temperature diligently! While we hope that the water temperature stays nice and warm for next week, here are the rules for wetsuits:

For 1 mile swim competition: wetsuits permitted if water temperature is under 68 degrees
For "fun swim": wetsuits permitted regardless of water temperature

Looking forward to a great day!

New "Fun Swim" option added!

To ensure that this is an enjoyable event for everyone, we are introducing a "fun swim" option for anyone planning to participate. This will be a 1/3 mile swim from the Boatyard Dock to the Mason St. Grille. More details coming!

"PAWS" to support the Tom Wear Memorial Swim!

Interested in supporting the Tom Wear Memorial Swim? Your donation of $1 or more will be most welcome and appreciated! Click on the image to the right and print it out, then drop it off with your donation to the Wearhouse Grille, 161 Route 181. Lake Hopatcong.

Volunteering opportunities

We are looking for volunteers to help us out with the 2009 Tom Wear Memorial Swim benefiting the Jefferson Township Animal Rescue. This event will be taking place on Sunday, September 27th in the upper bay of Lake Hopatcong and we could use volunteers during in the morning (from around 7am-noon). Here is the help we need:

- Kayakers (we have kayaks)
- Lifeguards (certified)
- Concession
- Registration
- Race Marshals (to help with race logistics)
- Parking

All volunteers will receive our thanks AND a fabulous t-shirt.

If you are interested, please send the following information to Esther Poulsen at epoulsen@yahoo.com
Name
Age
Phone
Email Address

Thank you so much for your help in making this a spectacular charity event!

Sponsorship Opportunities for the Memorial Swim

We have three outstanding sponsorship opportunities for your organization:

PREMIER $2,500

• 2 x 4 Logo banner in race staging area
• Sponsor provided promotional materials included in athlete packets
• Company name and logo on athlete and volunteer t‐shirts
• Company name and logo in race brochure

PLATINUM $1,000

• Banner in race staging area
• Company name and logo on athlete and volunteer t‐shirts
• Company name and logo in race brochure

GOLD $500

• Company name and logo on athlete and volunteer t‐shirts
• Company name and logo in race brochure

SILVER $250

• Company name and logo on athlete and volunteer t‐shirts
• Company name and logo in race brochure

Download your sponsorship opportunity brochure here.

We need volunteers!

If you are interested in helping us coordinate and run the Tom Wear Memorial Swim this year, please contact Esther Poulsen at epoulsen@yahoo.com. We need the following types of volunteers:

- Registration
- Traffic control
- Food and Beverage
- Lake Traffic Control
- Rescue Support (boats needed)
- Lifeguards (certified)

Thank you for your help and participation!

All about the Tom Wear Memorial Swim

Tom Wear Memorial Swim
September 27, 2009
Woodport Bay, Lake Hopatcong, NJ

The First Annual Tom Wear Memorial Swim is a charity event to honor one of Lake Hopatcong's beloved citizens, Tom Wear, who passed away in 2008. Tom was the owner of the Wearhouse Grille, a great restaurant in Lake Hopatcong featuring fine American food and spirits and excellent live music on weekends.

This charity event is in his honor and all proceeds will go to the Jefferson Township Animal Rescue

The Memorial Swim will be a one-mile open water swim through the Woodport Bay section of Lake Hopatcong. The race starts at the Prospect Point Boat Yard on Route 181 in Lake Hopatcong. Swimmers will race west to the Mason Street Pub, then southeast to Oh! Sullivan's Woodport House, then back north to the boatyard.

This race is sanctioned by New Jersey LMSC, Inc. for U.S. Masters Swimming, Inc.. Sanction ID: 079-OW002. For all Masters swimmers, this is an excellent opportunity for a late season open swim in the Tri-State area!

Lake Hopatcong is one of the recreational jewels of New Jersey...the state's largest lake, it is eight miles long and is an excellent destination for boating, fishing, lakeside dining, swimming, kayaking and other outdoor fun. Swimming conditions should be ideal; water temperatures are generally mild in late summer though a little crisp morning air will be refreshing!

Important Details:
Date: Sunday, September 27, 2009
Registration Time: 7:30am - 8:30am
Swimmers Meeting: 8:45am
USMS Division Race Start: 9:00am
Open Division (all other swimmers): 9:10am

Awards, refreshments and socializing after the race.

Track the event on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112964002855

Registration is simple -- please download this form and follow instructions for registration and payment.
$20 pre-registration by August 31, 2009
$25 registration fee September 1-20th
$30 registration fee after September 20th and Race Day

Fee includes t-shirts for all registrations received before September 1st.
All registration fees are non-refundable including if the event is delayed or canceled due to weather conditions.

We need sponsors! Please consider adding your corporation's sponsorship to this event. Click here for more details and the sponsorship form.