Directors: Henny Boeters, Ben Van Heeswijk, David Klatt and Judie Wigcherink
Attendance:
Members: 12
.Guests: Jane Baldwin-Marvell, Gail Baldwin-Marvell, Tom Stewart, Dom Spagnolo, Eugene Outman George Oduro
Birthdays:
Anniversaries:
Meeting Date Sept 22, 2025, Anglican Parish Hall. After a wonderful dinner prepared by the ACW, David B started the meeting by thanking the ladies in the kitchen.
Correspondence: None
Program: Guest speaker Jane Baldwin-Marvell lives in Ridgetown with her husband and one adult child
Jane and three other teammates took part in a memorial swim on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan as part of a memorial to the Edmond Fitzgerald which sank 50 years ago on route from Superior Wisconsin to steel plants in Detroit
The ship was carrying 26000 tons of iron ore pellets which was more than the empty weight of the ship
The ship sank during hurricane-force winds 17 miles from Whitefish Bay on Nov. 10th, 1975, taking 29 mariners with it.
With permission from the families of those who passed away that night, the idea for the memorial swim was put forward.
Those interested in taking part had to fill in an lengthy application and 17 four-person teams were chosen
Jane had spent most of her life competing in swimming events, but had not in any of Great Lakes
She had to practice beyond the 1 km she had been swimming in the Blenheim pool
Jane was part of the 15th team, made up of Jane and swimmers from Coburg, ON, Dearborn Michigan and Bend Oregon
One other woman, Sandy Stassen, was on her team but unfortunately died in June of 2025
The girl who replaced her pulled her ashes in a water-proof container that floated behind her for their stage of the swim
Each team member had to swim for 30 minutes before handing off the baton to the next swimmer and resting for one and a half hours and then back into the water
Their leg of the swim was 19.3 miles although the average length was about 30 miles
Jane’s team started their leg of the swim at Lexington Beach in Michigan, swimming out about a half km out into the lake, with Jane starting their swim and the other swimmers heading to their support ship, the Sea Delight
She was in her 7th swim, when their support Jim Dreyer, the event organizer was waving frantically for her to get back on the Sea Delight
What she couldn’t see was the big storm coming up behind her
She made it back to the boat only a few minutes before a large thunder storm engulfed them
They had to ride out the storm for 2 hours, before being able to finish late into the night around 11 pm, 3 hours behind schedule
The 17th team finished The swim ended in Belle River
Most of the 68 swimmers and crew, their families who could make it plus family members of the Edmond Fitzgerald attended a special service at the Maritime Church of Detroit
Members of the swim teams read the names of those who perished 50 years before
The bell in the church tower rang once for each mariner who perished
The bell also rang a 30th time for the 30000 mariners who have died on the Great Lakes
Jane said that there is also a museum in White Fish Point
Jane ended by showing us a few videos of their leg of the swim
For Jane it was a very rewarding but grueling experience, where she made lasting friendship with her tam and others from the Michigan area
It was a wonderful presentation
Secretary Paul thanked Jane
Committees:
1. Kees B: Corn stalks
Saturday Sept 27 9.00
Pick up at Boonzaier at Reeders line
Same place as 2 years ago
After picking free coffee at Pinnels
After this put them around the lamp posts in the Ridgetown
Happy Bucks: David B to see so many at the meeting, Ron B for our speaker, Beatrice for being at the meeting, Kees for he and Henny making it home from Pettawawa for the meeting
President David asked if there was “Anything for the good of Rotary?”
President David closed the meeting unofficially at approximately
The next meeting is on: Monday, Oct 6 at the Anglican Parish Hall
The theme for the 25-26 Rotary year is“Unite for Good”
l-r President David Brian, Jane Baldwin-Marvell and Ron Bolohan
