This article is from page 24 of the 2007-12-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG
THE people of Miltown Malbay and Kilkee will not be hoping for a white Christmas as they prepare for their annual Christmas Day swim.
At 10am more than 100 warm- blooded swimmers will take to the waters of the White Strand and all in the name of charity.
This year their festive fun will benefit the Mid West Cancer Unit in Limerick.
Last year, the group raised €13,000 for the Doolin Search and Rescue crew.
In its 15th year, the annual swim is one of the highlights of the west Clare Christmas calendar.
After the Yuletide dip the swim- mers partake in a hot whiskey or black currant before making their way home.
Sponsorship cards are available from Tony Cogan.
The swim in Kilkee is now a quar- ter of a century old, making it part of the local Christmas tradition.
Organised by the Kilkee Sub Aqua Club the swim will take place from the pier at 12.15pm.
Half of the proceeds from the an- nual sponsored swim will again go towards the Kilkee astro turf and playground project on behalf of Scoil Realt na Mara.
Last year the club donated €2,000 to the same cause thanks to the gen- erosity of the local community and others who sponsored club mem- bers.
Kilkee Sub Aqua Club, which has over 30 members from Clare, Lim- erick and south Galway, is a member of Comhairle Fo Thuinn, the Irish Underwater Council, the national body for recreational underwater diving, which, in turn, is affiliated to the Confederation Mondiale des Activites Subaquatiques, the world federation of national diving organi- Zations.