Penn State Sophomore Grabs 2007 CEEF Scholarship at GCBS
___________________________________
Annapolis, MD. - The 2007 CEEF Newsletter welcomes you to another year of tremendous personal achievement from young people making their way through school and life. Already in her third GCBS, the sophomore raised over $800 for the GCBS charities. She finished 19th overall and the second woman to finish from 640 participants from all over the United States. Brian Earley did a Q&A with Erin as she was prepairing to start her sophomore year at Penn State University.Brian - What is it like to swim in the GCBS and what is your sense of accomplishment from these efforts? Erin – “The Bay Swim is a really impressive race for a great cause. It certainly gives me a great sense of accomplishment and pride to compete in something so meaningful. It’s quite an honor to finish 2nd in the women’s race in an event with 600 other swimmers.” “It is definitely a challenge, both mentally and physically. This year, I started getting really nervous about two days before the race. I kept thinking about the currents and the choppy water and being out alone in the middle of the bay." "But during the race, I actually stayed very calm, and had fun. It was tiring, but I knew that if I could just keep pushing myself I would be to the other side before too long.” |
Brian - How did you handle the Chesapeake and it's tidal changes?Erin - “I did have some problems with the tides. I was prepared for the slack tide at the beginning of the race, but I did not expect the ebb tide at the end of the race. I had a tough time getting over to the south bridge span in the last mile and a half.”
Raising over $800 for Bay Swim Charities, Erin Luley accepts the $1000 CEEF Scholarship. |
|
___________________________________ Brian – What
role did your family play in helping you prepare for the event and
fundraising? |
Page 2. |
Brian - What does it mean to you to fundraise for the GCBS Charities like the March of Dimes and the Chesapeake Bay Trust?
Accepting congratulations from a family friend, Erin Luley enjoys her
role as one of the event’s top athletes and uses her own family
experience as motivation to give back. ___________________________________ Erin – “Both of these charities are very important to me. It means a lot to me to be able to swim for the March of Dimes because of my cousin and my sister. My five-year-old cousin Audrey was born 12 weeks prematurely. Thankfully, she is a completely normal five year old, but her first few months were really scary. Audrey and my aunt and uncle were very big supporters." “My sister Anne was born with a birth defect in her brain, which affects a lot of her motor skills. Because of these two, the March of Dimes has special meaning to me. It was really important to fundraise for this event because of people like Anne and Audrey.“ “The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a very important charity because it seeks to preserve such an important resource. The Bay is home to so many species, and definitely not as clean as it should be.” ___________________________________
|
CEEF contributors take credit for helping the scholarship winners finish their education goals. Why not count yourself as contributor?
Thank you to the following people for their generous and thoughtful contributions
for the 2007-08 Scholarships. Since 1999, the Cynthia Earley Educational Foundation awards educational scholarships at The Great Chesapeake Bay Swim (GCBS) held just outside of Annapolis, MD every June.
The GCBS celebrated its 25th year and many CEEF contributors were original
sponsors of that event and are still involved today. The Foundation
is humbled by your generosity for these students while honoring our parents,
Joseph and Cynthia Earley. It is what ties us together and
for this we are truly grateful. For more information about Cynthia Earley, the GCBS, and the CEEF scholarships, visit the CEEF website. Cynthia Earley Educational Foundation
4405 Caminito Cristalino San Diego, CA 92117-3615 Tax Deductible Corporate ID: 2254889 |
