Longtime Muskoka resident and fundraiser Joy Jarvis is preparing to dive back into the water for a good cause.
On July 26, Jarvis will undertake a 9-kilometre swim in support of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation’s Raise Muskoka campaign.
The swim will begin at 8 a.m. from the Algonquin Outfitters dock in Huntsville. Jarvis will travel up the Muskoka River to Lake Vernon, circle Gallagher Island, and return to her starting point.
This year marks Jarvis’s 31st year of long-distance fundraising swims and her fourth consecutive year raising money for the Huntsville Hospital Foundation (HHF).
“This swim has been a dream of mine for years. You’re never too young or old,” Jarvis said. “You can work on it, you can achieve it. Don’t let opportunity pass you by.”
Jarvis said the swim has received tremendous community support in the past, and that support continues to grow each year. Residents are invited to join her in the water by swimming, boating, or kayaking alongside the route, or to show their support by cheering from the town docks or waterfront properties. This year, Mayor Nancy Alcock and Dr. Jennifer MacMillan will be swimming with Jarvis, and members of the Huntsville Fire Department will accompany by boat.
As of July 21, Jarvis has raised $2,500 toward her $10,000 fundraising goal. She has raised $20,261 for HHF since 2023.
The Raise Muskoka campaign is a community-driven effort to help fund the construction of a new Huntsville hospital, as well as new medical equipment and technology aimed at enhancing patient care across the region.
“The new build for Raise Muskoka is going to help everybody, not just residents of Huntsville, but the surrounding communities,” Jarvis said. “I know what I’m swimming for, and I’m really honoured to be helping out.”
To donate, click here.
