ST. MICHAELS, MD
On October 18, 2024 the Avalon Theater came alive as renowned ABBA tribute band Dancing Dream returned to Easton for another stellar performance. The audience was decked out in their sparkles and bellbottoms for this musical trip down memory lane. At the end of the evening, more than $45,000 in proceeds were raised to provide free swimming lessons to children in Talbot County through local nonprofit SOS Sink or Swim.
This is the third year that Dancing Dream has performed to raise money in support of SOS Sink or Swim’s vital mission. In addition to enjoying a world-class performance, concertgoers learned how their ticket purchase saves lives by helping to provide free swimming lessons for children and adults in Talbot County.
SOS Sink or Swim Council Member Jeanne Kuperberg addressed the crowd during intermission, sharing that since 2010 drowning rates in Talbot County have decreased, and that, in Sink or Swim’s 10th year in operation, Talbot now has one of the lowest rates of drowning in the state of Maryland. According to a Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine report, formal swimming lessons can reduce the likelihood of drowning by 88%, making SOS’s mission critical for our waterside community.
After her remarks, Kuperberg reintroduced the band, who appeared on stage wearing SOS Sink or Swim t-shirts and played – you guessed it – ABBA’s hit song, “SOS.” After the concert, attendees had the opportunity to meet with members of the band and have their photo taken. Those unable to attend the concert were able to tune in from home to a live stream on the SOS Sink or Swim website.
“We are so grateful to everyone who participated in this event and helped us celebrate 10 years of service to our community,” shares SOS Sink or Swim Council President Libby Moose. “It was so wonderful to see so many people come out to share a fun evening together. Our incredible community has made it possible for SOS Sink or Swim to provide more than 9,000 swimming lessons to date. Thanks to the attendees, sponsors, and donors from our Dancing Dream event, we will be able to save many more lives next summer!”
SOS Sink or Swim would like to express its deep gratitude towards the event’s generous sponsors. A special sponsor, Susan Whaley, provided a $10,000 matching donation in honor of the organization’s 10th anniversary. This year’s Presenting Sponsors were Pam and Jim Harris, Barbara Hendricks, Elizabeth Moose, Ann Thayer and Stephanie Little, and Tracy and Scott Wagner. The Life Saver Level Sponsors were Debbie and Tom Lawrence, and the Swim Level Sponsors included Andrea Dynes, Easton Utilities, Steve and Myra Gons, Jeanne and Michael Kuperberg, Genevieve Murphy, Town and Country Wine, Liquor, etc., and Rene and Tom Stevenson. Bridges Land Management and Foxy’s Harbor Grille were this year’s Float Sponsors, while Bluepoint Hospitality, Jennifer Shea and Peter Bruns, David and Elizabeth Crenshaw, Dave and Penni Jones, Senator Johnny Mautz, and Penni and Terry O’Hearn participated at the Kickboard Sponsor level. Special thanks to the Tidewater Inn and Hampton Inn and Suites for their in-kind donations.
SOS Sink or Swim is dedicated to teaching children and adults how to swim and to be safe in the water. Through the help of charitable donations to SOS Sink or Swim and partner support, SOS has provided more than 9,000 free learn-to-swim sessions since 2014 at the community pools in St. Michaels and Easton.
Children between the ages of 18 months and 18 years and adults may sign up through Talbot County Parks & Recreation. The lessons are free to all, no questions asked, and are provided at the Bay Hundred Community Pool in St. Michaels and the George Murphy Community Pool in Easton under the supervision of Talbot County Parks & Recreation.
Donations to SOS Sink or Swim make the program free for all participants. As little as $50 can sponsor two weeks of free swimming lessons for a child in our community.
Learn more or make a donation at SOSSinkorSwim.org. SOS Sink or Swim is docked at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
#####