GRAND HAVEN, Mich. -- A group of 68 open water swimmers are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald by swimming from the shipwreck in Lake Superior to the ship's intended destination in Detroit. The swim will be split into 17 stages and is 411 miles.
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was bound for Detroit carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore when the ship sank in a storm on Lake Superior on November 10,1975. All 29 crewmembers onboard died. The ship lies in Canadian waters, 17 miles from Whitefish Point, Michigan.
The Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim will start on July 26th and is being organized by Jim Dreyer.
"This special group of swimmers are dedicated to meeting the physical challenge of making it to Detroit for the 29 souls lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald while they were en route to Detroit 50 years ago," said Dreyer. "This team is driven by a dual mission to preserve the memory of those who died while also preserving the Whitefish Point Light Station to safeguard mariners of today and tomorrow. To date, we have raised over $187,000 toward our mission."
The money raised by the swim will go to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The society preserves the Whitefish Point Light Station which is a Civil War era lighthouse that serves as an important beacon to all ships entering and exiting Lake Superior.
Kalamazoo resident Brian VanderHoff is swimming stage 10 from Sturgeon Point to Au Sable in Lake Huron and is the group's top fundraiser.
"The Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim is important to me because it commemorates the 29 lives lost," said VanderHoff. "Although I was young at the time, I learned about the wreck listening to Gordon Lightfoot's song throughout my life. I thought raising funds for the Whitefish Point Lighthouse as part of the swim was a great way to give back to the community as well as Michigan history."
The 17 teams of 4 relay swimmers will set out to deliver iron ore pellets to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. The pellets are from the same dock where the ship received its load before setting sail.
The teams plan to present the iron ore to Duggan during the Mariners' Memorial Service on August 28th, the day after the swim is completed. During the service, a bell will be rung 29 times for each crew member that passed.
"I am truly honored to be directing this historic and meaningful event," Dreyer said. "I would like to invite other who would be honored to swim to join our waitlist. You never know what might happen and we could call on you."
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