What started out two summers ago as a group of guys swimming together in the Long Beach Yacht Club pool is quickly becoming a cultural phenomena that extends outside the pool, into the ocean and now into the local community.

Seven local swimmers, known as The Dawn Patrol, will swim the Catalina Channel this summer to raise money for local charities. The goal of the 28.3-mile swim relay is to raise money for local charities Children Today, Casa Youth Shelter, Habitat For Humanity, and Breast Cancer Angels.

Dubbed The Swim 2010, the relay will launch from Catalina at 10pm on Saturday, July 31. The majority of the estimated 14-hour swim will take place in the dark with the arrival planned for midday Sunday, August 1. The Long Beach Yacht Club will host a celebration party with live music, charity and sponsor tables, and a fantastic buffet meal for approximately 500 people.

The Dawn Patrol is made up of seven LBYC members: Scott Meyer, Chris Geer, Pete Cassiano, Matt Hanson, Steve Schlom, Michael Bergkvist, and Shawn Oatey. The Dawn Patrol can be found most mornings when the sun comes up in the LBYC pool, Thursday’s outside the Seal Beach Pier (swimming with the Seal Beach Sea Monkeys), and Saturday’s swimming the inner bay in Belmont Shore. The group competes in many annual open-water swimming events.

The Dawn Patrol and their families are very active in the local Long Beach community and have direct ties to each of the four charities being supported. The swimmers hope to raise $40,000 which will be split evenly and go directly to support the chosen charities. The Long Beach Community Foundation will help collect, manage and distribute the contributions. All donations are tax deductible.

For more information about The Swim 2010 or to make a donation visit The Dawn Patrol website at www.lbycdawnpatrol.com or go directly to www.theswim2010.com.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones