Susquehanna Swim for Scleroderma
On May 17, Al Masland will jump into the Susquehanna
River in Ft. Hunter, Pa. and swim to City Island, a
distance of about 6–6.5 miles (depending on how
well Cindy Dunn, his expert canoeist/guide, keeps him
on course).
Rather than entertain this quest for his own benefit,
Al decided to swim for a greater purpose—charity.
Swimming in deep, dark, and cold waters, Al has found
an even greater inner momentum to complete his swim:
knowing that his personal athletic endeavors will result
in benefiting the lives of others.
Many people have inspired Al throughout his life, but
for this swimming challenge, Al chose to dedicate his
efforts to two individuals who exemplified the noble
qualities of both perseverance and dedication. Al decided
first to honor his late best friend, Mr. Jim Fecko.
Jim was a fellow swimmer, like Al, who regrettably passed
away after an arduous battle with scleroderma. Al’s
second dedication is in honor of Mr. Cliff Jones, environmental
advocate of Central Pennsylvania. Al decided that he
would honor Mr. Jones through donations to the Central
Pennsylvania Conservancy’s “Cliff Jones
Stewardship Fund,” which aids in the stewardship
of land and environmental easements. In addition to
this fund, Al also supports the Cliff Jones Field Station
at the Audubon Hawk Watch at Waggoner’s Gap.
Though this will certainly be a daunting athletic task
for Mr. Masland to complete, one thing is for sure.
At the end of his race, Al will have not only attained
personal fulfillment from completing his swimming challenge,
but also reap the rewards of knowing he has done so
to benefit others.
To make donations in support of Mr. Masland’s
swim to the Scleroderma Foundation please go to www.scleroderma.org/development/donate.shtm.
To donate to the “Cliff Jones Stewardship Fund,”
go to www.centralpaconservancy.org.
You can also send a check directly to Mr. Masland made
out to the charity of your choice, and he will deliver
it for you. Mr. Masland’s mailing address is 258
Conway Street, Carlisle, PA 17013.
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