>Event will bring hundreds of swimmers to the Milford area

MILFORD – Nearly 600 young athletes in 18 teams from all over New Hamp­shire and northern Mas­sachusetts will travel to Milford this weekend to compete in the annual Ro­tary Swim Meet.

This will be the Ro­tary’s 51st meet. The first one was in 1966 and it celebrated the opening of Keyes Memorial Pool, which replaced "the mud hole" at Great Brook as the town swimming spot.

Rotary’s Janet Langdell said the Milford meet is unusual for three rea­sons: It’s free – teams pay nothing to enter; Rotar­ians actually work the event; and the enormous amount of local participa­tion.

Fees at other events can be as much as $18-$25 per swimmer, plus individual race fees, and Rotarians do virtually everything: They time the races, hand out ribbons and awards, park cars and sell food.

"We don’t just write a check to have this ‘called’ a Rotary swim meet like other swim meet events do," Langdell said. and community collaboration and support is outstand­ing.

"We could not put on this meet without the help of the Milford Rec­reation Department and Recreation Commission," said Langdell, who is the event’s co-chair, with Tim Finan.

Milford swim team families, public works and Police Department community volunteers, including several Milford businesses, all help.

While the Rotary’s 100 Holes of Golf In One Day Tournament is the club’s largest fundraiser, the swim meet is its largest community service event, excluding the $80,000- $100,000 it grants each year in donations to non­profits and educational scholarships.

The meet will go on from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at 673-3100 or kcleveland@cabinet.com.