On Sunday 6/12/09 10 swimmers braved the 7 km swim from Blackfellers Lake to Mogareeka in the Bega River to raise money for solar panels for the Tathra Rural Fire Station. Two Dragon Boats (ZEN and Saphire Water Dragons) and a surf boat, along with about 20 kayaks and canoes, got us across the line.
Conditions were good for the swim. The water was warm, as was the day, although a stiff NorthEaster generated a very difficult chop for the last 2km of the swim.
There was a lot of community support for the swim, and I would like to thank our major sponsor Country Energy. Pyramid Power and the Velocity Gym in Bega were also very generous with their support.
The target is to raise enough money to get a 3 kWatt system of solar panels onto the roof of the Tathra Rural Fire Station, and I think we are getting close. If anyone would like to donate money to the RFS panels for Tathra, please contact me or visit the www.cleanenergyforeternity.net.au website.
The solar panels will make about $2000 each year for the Fire Station, and the station is happy to donate all that money towards ongoing RFS solar panels on other fire sheds. There are 200 RFS stations in SE NSW, and we can get them all set up with solar panels by 2020.
The next LifeSaving Energy Big Swim will be held on 13/2/09 in Lake Jindabyne. Again, this will be a 7 km swim to raise money for solar panels for one of the RFS stations in Jindabyne.
Matthew Nott