Record-Setting Year For Buzzards Bay Swim
A record setting year, fund-raising wise, for the 23rd annual Buzzards Bay swim.
More than 240 swimmers made their way from a New Bedford beach off East Rodney French Boulevard to Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven Saturday morning.
Organizer Mark Rasmussen of the Buzzards Bay Coalition says the event raised $120,000 with more money still coming in. He tells WBSM News, all of the money will be put to good use.
"The funds that are raisedgo right back into protecting and cleaning up the bay. Those of us who live in Greater New Bedford know how much water quality has improved over the past two decades, and that's because of a lot of amazing work by local communities to reduce pollution," he said
Rasmussen added, when the event started 23 years ago, the City of New Bedford was a primary polluter of Buzzards Bay, but now most of the focus is on suburban towns, who generate pollution from sprawling development near the water and septic systems.