Ridgewood marathon swimmer raises funds to help Paterson kids learn water safety
October 27, 2014, 7:27 AM Last updated: Monday, October 27, 2014, 7:37 AM
By LINDA MOSS
Staff Writer |
The Record
RIDGEWOOD – Charlotte Samuels, the teenager who made headlines and broke a record when she swam the English Channel last month, turned a celebration Sunday into a fundraiser to help Paterson children learn how to swim.
The 16-year-old Ridgewood High School junior, who this year became the youngest person to complete the open-water swimming Triple Crown, and her parents invited more than 150 guests to an open house at their home in the village, where there was food and a huge congratulatory cake for Charlotte. The attendees included family, friends and mentors who helped Charlotte achieve her success in her demanding passion, long-distance swimming.
“We’re doing the party to thank people,” said Charlotte’s mother, Suzanne Samuels.
At the gathering the Samuels family also solicited donations for a cause close to its heart: Citizens for Swimming, a program in which Paterson youths are given swimming lessons at Graydon Pool in Ridgewood in the summer. This weekend’s event raised more than $1,500 for Citizens for Swimming, according to a preliminary tally of in-person and online donations.
“This is absolutely found money for us,” said the program’s director, Dawn Walter of Ridgewood, who attended the celebration.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/ridgewood-marathon-swimmer-raises-funds-to-help-paterson-kids-learn-water-safety-1.1118746#sthash.RIGXm5Gq.dpuf
