Greater Bay Shore coverage is funded in part by Shoregate, now leasing brand-new premium apartment homes in the heart of Bay Shore. Click here to schedule a tour.
Due to poor weather conditions, the annual Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim was canceled in 2024.
Originally scheduled for July 9, the event organizers delayed the 7:30 a.m. race start due to dense fog over the Great South Bay, where the race takes place.
As conditions did not improve, the event organizers decided to cancel the event.
“After careful consideration and much discussion we have decided not to try again this year,” event organizers wrote on Facebook. “Our back up plan was for tomorrow [July 10], but the forecast isn’t any better. Lots of gratitude for this incredible community and all of your good natured attitude.”
Despite the cancellation, this year’s fundraising efforts raised over $92,000, according the event’s runners.
The funds will support the Hospice Care Network’s Children and Family Bereavement Program and the Maggie Fischer Scholarship Fund, both nonprofits honoring Maggie Fischer’s legacy.
The 5.25-mile race from Fire Island Lighthouse to Brightwaters is named after Maggie, a 17-year-old senior at St. Anthony’s High School in Brightwaters, who tragically passed away in a car accident just days before the race was scheduled to begin in 1999.
Maggie, a lifeguard at Saltaire, had been training for the event. In her memory, participants continue to undertake the challenge, leading to the event being renamed The Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim.
Top: File photo of a past Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim. (GLI Photo, file)
