For 166 swimmers who entered the water at Pryibil Beach, crossing the finish line meant more than completing a mile — or several — in the Long Island Sound.
Some swam in memory of loved ones. Others were cancer survivors themselves or had watched family members battle the disease. All were helping raise money in hopes that one day, fewer families would have to endure it.
Swim Across America Nassau/Suffolk Long Island marked its 25th anniversary Aug. 1 with its annual open-water benefit swim in Glen Cove. Glen Cove resident Michael Gadaleta had a front-row view of every swimmer who took on the challenge. A swimmer himself, Gadaleta has volunteered at the event for the past several years, since it moved to Pryibil Beach. This year, he was stationed at the water’s edge, recording each participant as they entered and returned to shore.
“You would see the joy on their faces as they crossed that line to exit the water,” he said. “Albeit a somber situation for some family members that are there that may have lost loved ones to cancer, those coming out of the water — a joyous occasion, knowing that they’ve raised the money and they put in the work.”
The Pryibil Beach swim raised roughly $870,000, while the Nassau/Suffolk chapter has raised more than $1 million so far this year through the open-water event and other fundraisers, according to event director Kevin Shine. Since its inception, the local chapter has raised more than $16 million.
The Nassau/Suffolk group traces its beginnings to 2001 and held its first Glen Cove swim the following year. Its open-water events have remained in the city ever since, first at Morgan Memorial Park and, more recently, at Pryibil Beach.
For Steven Chestler, the mission is deeply personal.
Chestler’s wife, Carolyn, was an accomplished athlete who ran marathons, swam around Manhattan and participated in English Channel relays. After she began experiencing knee pain, an MRI led to a devastating discovery: Cancer had spread throughout much of her body. She died four months later.
Chestler and his children decided they needed to do something in her memory.
“She was a big swimmer,” he said.
They found Swim Across America and created Team Carolyn. In its first year, the team raised more than $270,000. Five years later, Chestler said the team had raised more than $307,000 this year, with additional donations expected.
“It’s a very, very special day,” he said. “The people there are incredible.”
Gadaleta’s connection to the cause is also personal. His father and brother, both named Joe, were diagnosed with prostate cancer and survived. His father lived for about 15 years afterward, while his brother remains a survivor.
“It just kind of hit me,” Gadaleta said.“We’ve experienced the same sort of things. He’s doing an incredible job to help fight and find a cure.”
For Gadaleta, volunteering for one morning is a small contribution to a much larger fight.
“It always is important, I think, to give back a little bit, feel like that you’re making a difference in the world,” he said. He said the event also demonstrates how Glen Cove has embraced Swim Across America, with the city’s police, emergency services, Harbor Patrol and Recreation Department helping support the annual swim.
“The way Glen Cove comes out and supports the event ... shows that they care about not just finding a cure for cancer, but the community getting involved in it,” Gadaleta said.
