LAKE PARK —
The James Eunice “The Clock is Ticking” Seven-Mile Swim Sunday was a glowing success, according to event organizers and Eunice’s father, John Eunice.
Organizers hoped for at least 20 competitors, and worried about making that number during the final days of registration, but 42 registrants appeared in the rolls Sunday, and 40 competed.
Funds that the event earned are still being totaled, but Eunice guesses the event brought in about $4,000 in entry fees, food sales and donations, amounting to almost $1,000 in revenue for the James Eunice Fund.
“But our primary purpose is to share James’ story, because it impacts lives,” Eunice said. “We’re planning for next year, which will be bigger and hopefully attract a wider circle of people.”
The funds earned at the event will “go back into the community,” Eunice said.
Billy Van Ausdall, responsible for preparing the meals for the event, said he served eight cases of chicken — about 320 pieces.
“So I’m going to assume we had about that many people,” Van Ausdall said. “I think it was a success!”
Chicken and baked bean meals sold for $7 a plate Sunday, and meals for the pre-race dinner went for $10 a person. Chick-Fil-A donated cole slaw and sweet tea to the event.
At the dinner, Eunice and his wife Tammy shared their son’s story and reminded those in attendance of the purpose of the swim.
It took 17 days to find James Eunice’s body after he went missing. The death was shocking and painful to the community to which Eunice had shared his love of life, of fun and
friendship and of God.
A year prior to his death, in reaction to the death of a friend, Eunice wrote a prose poem titled “The Clock is Ticking,” in which he urges his readers to live each day to the fullest and never take any moment or any relationship for granted.
Some participants swam the race with fins, while others swam without fins.
Allison Retotar of Tallahassee, Fla. was the first person to finish the seven-mile swim without fins. Katie Sweet of Valdosta was the first swimmer to finish the seven-mile race with fins.
Fowler Perry of Valdosta won the 3.5-mile race without fins. Emma Layton of Valdosta was the first person to finish the one-mile swim without fins. Nick Morgans of Valdosta was the first swimmer to finish the one-mile swim with fins.
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Related Photos
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Race participants swim during the inaugural The Clock is Ticking 7-Mile Swim on Sunday at Long Pond in Lake Park. Forty swimmers participated in the event. submitted photo
Discussion
Clock is Ticking swim nets big numbers
Sunday race raises money, spreads story of Eunice
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