Second Annual Lady Liberty Swim Set for This Weekend

NEW YORK, May 24. THE second annual Lady Liberty Swim opens the Manhattan Island Foundation's 2006 Summer Swim Series on Sunday, May 28. Over 100 swimmers are expected to compete in the first of 11 scheduled events this season.

The Lady Liberty Swim offers swimmers a 1.5 kilometer course starting at Gangway One in Battery Park and finishing at the North Cove Yacht Harbor, Battery Park City. This event provides a dramatic, water-level view of the Statue of Liberty, Staten Island, Jersey City and the skyline of the southern tip of Manhattan.

Swimmers swim along the Battery's seawall, past Castle Clinton, past the South Cove and up to the North Cove. Water temperature will range from 55 to 60 degrees. Awards will be given for top ten overall finishers.

The inaugural event in 2005 drew nearly 90 swimmers from the five boroughs, six states and two countries. New York swimmers took the three top positions in both the men's and women's divisions. First place overall went to Mike Rossner with a time of 20:24. Alice Gallagher was the top female finisher, completing the swim in 27:42.

The Lady Liberty Swim is organized and sponsored by the Manhattan Island Foundation (MIF), Hudson River Park Trust, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Battery Park City Parks Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Proceeds from the swim benefit the Parks & Recreation Learn to Swim program, which helps establish swimming programs for children as well as rehabilitate swimming pools.

MIF has donated more than $100,000 to the Learn to Swim program. This year MIF's slate of swimming events includes 11 events, including one new swim, the Brooklyn Bridge Swim, two aquathlons and open-water swim clinics. The cornerstone event is the annual 28.5 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim on Saturday, June 24. More information about MIF and the Lady Liberty Swim including online race registration can be found at www.nycswim.org.

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